But she gave a gesture of utter disbelief.
“I am not interested,” she said. “It does not matter to me.”
“But it does to me. You seem to forget that.” His voice was hot with anger. “Do you expect me to hold my tongue, accused as I am of some rascally act! Not once, not twice, but a half dozen times you have hinted at something discreditable that I have done. Speak plainly. Give it a name, so that I may meet it squarely!”
His resentment was low-voiced and sharp; his face was flushed and determined; his hands were clinched until the knuckles seemed ready to split the skin that covered them. As she looked at him a hesitancy seemed to temper her scornful attitude; for the first time since she had assumed it, a doubt crept in and mingled with her disdain. But for all that she retained her former tone.
“Of what use would it be to give it a name?” she said. “You know it already.”
“You will pardon me if I insist,” he answered. “I differ with you in opinion—I oppose the faction that you hold to, and upon this you have reared a fanciful structure of evil. I demand that you be plain.”
“You demand!” Her voice rang as she said this and her eyes flashed her defiance. But almost instantly her manner changed. “A fanciful structure, indeed! Do I not know—haven’t I seen? Haven’t I heard? And my treatment of you is not because you oppose the faction that I hold to. There are others in this house,” bitterly, “who do the like, yet I believe them honest men. It is,” and her voice fell a trifle, but lost none of its directness, “because you hold faith with no faction—because you are a traitor to all.”
The flush died out of his face; he took a step toward her, astonishment replacing the rage of a moment before. But before he could speak another word, the two officers and the host reëntered.
“I defy any one,” declared the old gentleman, “to destroy valuables so arranged. They’ll go safely enough, though the roads across Jersey are somewhat rough,” with a laugh. “Indeed, I wish we were assured of as comfortable a journey.”
“When do you start?” asked Major Hyde.