“No, no! I never got on my knees. What would I do a fool thing like that for, when I was sendin' a telegram? I just asked—”
“You just asked! You said that I—I—And this was your answer! THIS!”
She dashed the message to the floor, covered her face with her hands and threw herself upon the bed. Daniel, aghast and alarmed, would have raised her but she pushed him away.
“Oh!” she cried. “The shame of it! Don't touch me! Please don't touch me!”
“But, Gertie—what on earth?”
“Don't touch me. Please don't touch me. Just go away, Daddy. Go and leave me. I mustn't talk to you now. If I do, I shall say—Please go. I want to be alone.”
Daniel went. That he had made another blunder was plain enough, but just now he was too hurt and indignant to care a great deal.
“All right,” he said shortly; “I'm goin'. You needn't worry about that. That's about all the orders I get nowadays—to go away. I ought to be used to it, by this time. I'm a fool, that's what I am, an old worn-out, useless fool.”
He slammed the door and descended the stairs. He had been in his accustomed refuge, the library, for perhaps twenty minutes, when the bell rang. He waited for Hapgood to answer the ring and then, suddenly remembering that the butler had departed, answered it himself.
Mr. Monty Holway smiled greeting from the steps.