“Who said you would?” he asked somewhat feebly, but in self defence.
“You did,” she said, and her audacity took his breath away.
“Well, how am I to help you!” he asked after a while.
“By giving me some advice,” she said; “do you think I ought to put the money there!”
“Indeed I do not,” said T. X., recovering some of his natural dominance; “apart from the fact that you would be compounding a felony, you would merely be laying out trouble for yourself in the future. If he can get 20 pounds so easily, he will come for 40 pounds. But why do you stay away, why don't you return home? There's no charge and no breath of suspicion against you.”
“Because I have something to do which I have set my mind to,” she said, with determination in her tones.
“Surely you can trust me with your address,” he urged her, “after all that has passed between us, Belinda Mary—after all the years we have known one another.”
“I shall get out and leave you,” she said steadily.
“But how the dickens am I going to help you?” he protested.
“Don't swear,” she could be very severe indeed; “the only way you can help me is by being kind and sympathetic.”