But she could not protect her face from the searching mouth. Violently, Frederick twisted her around and for one moment his lips fell upon hers. Deep groans came between the kisses he thrust upon her.
A moment later the sound of advancing steps lifted Frederick's face from hers. Muttering an oath, he threw Tess forcibly from him, for there in the path was Ebenezer Waldstricker, about whose sagging lips played a supercilious smile.
"So I was not mistaken," he sneered, looking his brother-in-law full in the face. "If Madelene doesn't care, I do."
"Well?" growled Frederick. "You've found me here, now do what you cursed want to, I don't care."
"Perhaps you'll care before I finish," said the elder grimly, and he included the girl in his baleful glare. "I think you both will."
Tessibel's mind flew to Boy. What could these two men do to her darling?
She went forward toward Waldstricker, her eyes raised appealingly to his.
"Won't you make Mr.... Mr. Graves keep away?" she petitioned. "I don't want him here."
"Yes, it looked, when I came around the corner, as if you didn't want him, miss," scoffed the elder. Then he laughed, and the laugh cut the throbbing girl to the quick. "Very much as if you wanted him to go.... Now, then, sir, what's this girl to you?"
"I'm nothing to him, Mr. Waldstricker," she asserted, without giving Frederick a chance to speak.