"I don't know." She looked up with obvious surprise. "Why? Why do you speak of him?"
"Did it never occur to you that Henry and Selby hated each other so bitterly because they both cared for Miss Hadley?"
"Henry? Oh, impossible!"
"Not impossible at all, I assure you."
"Why, he hardly knows her."
"How long is it necessary to know a person before falling in love?"
"I have no statistics on the subject."
"Well, my word for it, it doesn't take very long sometimes. And my word for it, Henry was in love with Miss Hadley. I wish we might keep him from hearing this news for a while."
"Why, you don't think Henry will shoot Selby at sight for carrying off his girl, do you?" she laughed.
"You are a heartless girl to laugh about it. Having some one else carry off the girl you love is a much more serious matter than you seem to realize. But I am not worrying about Selby. To be sure, It would look pretty bad for Henry if Selby were assassinated the first day he was out of jail, but Mr. Selby is under the special protection of the powers of mischief who are running things here, and I have no anxiety on his behalf."