"Surely you can have no troubles," I remarked, half-banteringly.
A shadow alighted for a moment upon her face and was gone again.
"Nothing which ought to be a trouble. Nothing tangible and yet—— Oh, Mr. Sutgrove, do you—have you ever experienced a presentiment of something dreadful happening? No; that is not exactly what I mean. I don't know how to explain myself without——"
Then she paused, and I discreetly kept silence. Presently she resumed.
"Men are so stupid, or I would tell you all about it. You would never understand."
I saw my opening and made use of it. "We men may be stupid both individually and collectively," I said. "But I can answer for one man being sympathetic to anything you like to say to him."
She laughed. "I am so afraid you will think me silly."
"Miss Maitland—Evie——" I began.
"Hush!" She stopped me with an adorable smile. "You know you haven't caught the Motor Pirate, yet."
I summoned up the most injured expression permitted by my contentment with my surroundings and fell silent again.