Billie, knowing her father as she did, was suddenly aware that he was trying to make light of the affair for the benefit of the others in the room. That the episode was far more serious than he cared to admit, she knew perfectly well.
O'Haru left the doorway where she had been standing and came over to the group by the couch.
"What was the honorable wish of the young lady?"
"Not to have the lights in the library put out so early in the evening.
To wait until bedtime at least."
O'Haru disliked to contradict, but the august young lady was honorably mistaken. The lights had never been put out by any servant attached to the household. She herself, or her daughter, attended to that after the honorable family had retired for the night.
"Never mind," said Mr. Campbell in a soothing voice, indicating to Billie by a slight shake of the head that he would be glad if she would let the matter drop. Billie nodded. There was perfect understanding between the father and the daughter.
"How do you feel now, Miss Billie?" asked Nicholas Grimm coming to the foot of the couch.
"I'm all right again. I am ashamed of having been such a coward. If it had been daylight I shouldn't have been half so frightened."
"I feel that it was all my fault for running off and leaving you alone. I should have seen you to the house at least."
"Nonsense," said Billie. "That wouldn't have altered matters in the
least. I would have come back here just the same for the pistol. You see
I had a feeling that Papa might need it. Besides, we were all alone here.
There were no men—"