She knew he desired her to urge his confidence. It would have been wiser had she refused to be thus baited. But curiosity is a most irritating complaint, and Lorna was not immune.
"I want to know what you quarreled about, Mr. Degger," she said. "I know you and Ralph had words when you left us aboard the Fenique down there at Lower Trillion. You were angry, or you would not have gone away from the light without bidding any of us good-bye. I think you two men are very foolish. Fighting and quarreling. Like dogs! It is most disgraceful.
"And if I thought," she added, "that you and Ralph quarreled about me——"
He flashed her another lowering glance. His smile now was most malicious.
"No, Miss Nicholet," he said quite truthfully, "your name was not mentioned between us." Then: "Our difficulty arose over quite a different person."
"Yes?"
"I was a fool!" he exclaimed with apparent anger. "I tried to do somebody a favor. I thought I might be able to show Endicott wherein he was wrong. Never will I try again to point out his duty to a man!"
Lorna listened with growing amazement. This certainly was a new side to Degger's character!
"Just what do you mean?" she asked wonderingly.
"Well, I do not feel myself bound to secrecy. It is Endicott's affair. I only tell you what is common knowledge. There was a girl Endicott was chasing after more than a year ago."