“Almost into fits,” stated Bat. “He’s a fellow, you see, who’s not used to such attentions; and to have them forced on him suddenly in that way was too much for him.”
Miss Knowles still smiled.
“That is really too bad,” she said. “Being so abruptly treated,” inquiringly, “I suppose he will not come again?”
“You never can tell,” replied Scanlon. “Sometimes people take things to heart; and again they laugh them off, like a pine-snake does his worn-out jacket. You might never catch him within ten miles of Schwartzberg again; and then he might walk in on us this very night.”
The smile vanished from the beautiful face; and the blue eyes looked at the big man steadily.
“To-night,” she said, and there was a catch in her voice. Then, quietly enough, “I don’t think Mr. Campe expects him.”
“Mr. Ashton-Kirk is not the fellow to stand back for a little thing like that,” remarked Bat Scanlon. “As a matter of fact, the time that he’s not expected is more than likely to be the time he’d pick.”
From somewhere over the rolling country a bell struck the hour. At once the girl gathered her reins tighter.
“I must hurry on,” she said. She waved her whip as the grey struck into a long, easy gallop; and away they went down the road toward the castle. The thoughtful eyes of Mr. Scanlon followed her until both horse and rider were hidden behind the next rise of ground.
“She knows Kirk,” thought he with a twist at the corner of his mouth, and a sharp nod of the head. “She knew his name as soon as she heard it, and she guessed what he came for. And now she’s anxious to know when he’s coming again, is she? When I hint that he might bob up to-night she takes fire, and goes off like a shot.” Here his eyes snapped sharply and he went on: “And what is the answer to so much agitation? Is something doing for this P.M.? Does the beautiful Miss Knowles know it; does she think the horning in of a party of A-K.’s intelligence might have awkward results?”