"I can hardly be expected to believe that."
"I'm sorry."
"You persist in saying that you got it in America?"
"I must."
"When?"
"After you left the Quains."
"How?" she propounded triumphantly.
"I can't tell you, except vaguely. If you'll be content with the substance of the story, lacking details, for the present——"
"For the present? You mean you'll tell me the whole truth—?"
"Sometime, yes. But now, I may not…. A dear friend of mine owned the photograph. He gave it me at my request. I came to India, and on the steamer lost it; in spite of my offer of a reward, I was obliged to leave the boat without it, when we got to Calcutta. My friend here knew how highly I valued it——"