"Excuse me, Miss, but did you see anything of a dog? He's broke loose, and he's that savage that he may hurt somebody."
Betty smiled and extracted a bill from her purse.
"You will find him in that knoll by the drive. He is standing over Mr. Wolvert, but he has not hurt him in the least. Understand, no matter what orders Mr. Wolvert gives, the dog is not to be ill-treated or punished. Demon and I are old friends and he was protecting me from annoyance. I called him to my aid. You understand, don't you? I do not wish to worry Mrs. Atterbury, but if Mr. Wolvert makes any trouble, I will tell the truth. I can rely on you to see that no harm comes to Demon?"
"That you can, Miss." The man pocketed his fee with added respect.
"He's no gentleman, that Mr. Wolvert, if you'll excuse me for saying so, and I'm glad the dog was loose. I'll see that he don't get hurt."
As she let herself in at the side door and mounted the stairs to her room a heavy sense of foreboding descended upon Betty's spirit. She had made two powerful enemies in one day, for Herbert Ross, in spite of his protestations, she felt to be a potential antagonist. Would she alone be able to stand against them, or would she go down to defeat with that for which she had entered the lists almost within her grasp?
CHAPTER XIII.
Justice Nods.
Jack Wolvert did not put in an appearance at dinner and Mrs. Atterbury explained that he was suffering from one of his severe headaches and had taken an opiate. Her manner gave no indication that she possessed an inkling of the truth, but Betty's apprehensions were not lulled into a false security. That Wolvert had not immediately betrayed her in blind rage argued that he was biding his own time for a personal revenge all the more complete and she realized that when the hour came she could expect no mercy.
Madame Cimmino's dull eyes glowered at her in undiminished animosity and suspicion, but she forced herself to a show of civility in the presence of her hostess; and in the greater danger which menaced her Betty gave little heed to the woman who looked upon her as a rival.