"I expect he will be as well as usual after a rest. You took a very generous revenge."
Walters laughed. "After all, I was only a little quicker than the rest and really ran no risk. I was behind him and he couldn't get hold of me. In fact, I don't know that I'd have had grit enough to stick to him if he had slipped."
He left her and Lucy could find no fault with his reply, which she admitted was frank and modest. For all that, her distrust had not been banished, and when, after a time, Lawrence came down, she said, "I suppose you're now satisfied that it wasn't Walters' fault you were left on the couloir?"
"Aren't you?" Lawrence asked with some surprise.
"No," said Lucy firmly. "I'm not quite satisfied. You see, there were a number of accidents, all leading to one result. Coincidences of that kind don't happen unless somebody arranges them."
Lawrence laughed. "Then they're not coincidences. Do you still hold
Walters accountable for the accidents?"
"If he was accountable, they wouldn't be accidents," Lucy rejoined with some color in her face.
"A fair retort! But let's be serious. I'm not sure I'd have fallen off the log if I'd been left alone, but it's very possible. Walters' help was useful, whether he saved my life or not, and you can't deny that he meant to save it."
"No; I think he meant to save you. Did you know who it was when he touched you?"
"I did. Remembering Jake's theory, I saw it was possible he had come to push me off, but I knew he hadn't. That's why I gave him my hand afterwards."