“Why?” he said.
“Because I ask you—I beg you—because—because—” She halted, frantically searching for adequate words. “Oh, wait!” she besought him. “Wait!”
His eyes regarded her immovably. “For your sake?” he said at last.
She wrung her hands together. “Yes—yes!”
He got slowly to his feet. “For your sake then!” he said. “Now tell me—what you are doing here? And why did you cry out just now when I rang the bell?”
His manner was absolutely quiet, but there was that in his look that warned her that the danger was not past. She did not dare to tell him the truth.
“I cried out,” she said, “because—I was startled. I hid in this room for the same reason.”
“And—you came here—for what?” he said.
She glanced away to the spread table, for she could not meet his eyes. “We had been to the theatre. I came in—for supper.”
“And he has behaved towards you absolutely as a gentleman should?” he questioned, in the same level voice that made her think of a weapon poised for striking.