“If she—this actress—had really wanted to find the child, she surely would have made inquiries here at the theatre before now, wouldn’t she?”
“It would seem so—certainly.”
“What I’m getting at is this: It looks a good deal like deliberate desertion, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, I should say so.”
“And that’s what I simply can’t believe,” declared Baron. “Still,” he added, “under the circumstances, I ought to be justified in not saying anything—in assuming that I have a right to keep what has come into my possession?”
“Well, for the time being, certainly. Of course, there may be developments sooner or later. She must belong to somebody; I mean, she must have a home somewhere.”
“No, she hasn’t.”
“But of course you can’t be sure of that.”
“I am. She’s my authority.”
“You mean she told you that? It was probably a childish fancy—or a downright falsehood. You have to take into account all manner of possible circumstances.”