"I think you've been very considerate and thoughtful for me," she said. "After all—it wasn't quite mere interest in crime that made you——"
"Good Lord, no!" he exclaimed quickly. "At first, perhaps, half that—half you! I felt—somehow—that I'd got to look after you. And then—and when you disappeared—but I believe I'm a bit muddle-headed! I'll tell you something—all that time you were lost, I—well, I scarcely ever slept! Wondering, you know. And when you turned up yesterday afternoon—but I want to ask you something that I'm not quite clear about—I was certainly muddled just then!"
"What is it?" she asked.
Hetherwick bent down to her and dropped his voice.
"I was so glad, so relieved to see you, yesterday afternoon," he said, "that—that I felt dazed—eh? And I want to know—did I kiss you?"
Rhona suddenly looked up at him—and laughed.
"Oh, really, how amusing you are!" she said. "Why, of course, you did! Twice!"
"That's good!" he exclaimed. "I—I thought perhaps I'd dreamt it. But—did you kiss me?"
"Do you really want to be dead sure?" asked Rhona mischievously. "Very well—I did!"
"That's better!" said Hetherwick.