Impolite scepticism showed in her eye, and his injured air only intensified her suspicions.
“Now, Dan, you’re a wonderful teller of tales and I guess if I were a bit younger I’d fall for it!” she said practically. “But you’re going to be a good little boy and ’fess up to Auntie that you took that money, and then you’ll say ‘Auntie, we’ll split it fifty-fifty.’ And if you don’t, Dan, why, it’s ‘Good morning, judge’ for yours!”
He tried blandishment.
“Honest, now, Sally, you’ve got it,” he said genially. “Let’s get right down to cases and——”
“Would I be here doing this act and allowing my emotions to destroy my beauty if I had it? Shouldn’t I be stepping on it? Would you be exchanging persiflage with anything but the dust of my trail?”
This point appeared logical.
“That’s true,” he said. “Then who opened the safe—not Selsbury?”
“You did,” she nodded, and he went purple.
“Curse you! I told you I didn’t take it....”
The door handle turned. Without looking round they knew it was Diana. She had omitted to enclose a cheque in her letter, she remarked at large, but they were too absorbed in their talk to heed her.