At the same time Tatters, seeing the strange man, sprang forward, and to keep him back Lucy stepped inside the sill-less door; his weight as he sprung closed it with a snap, making her in turn a prisoner.
“I thought you were in New York! What are you doing here?” she flashed, regaining her poise and colour at the same time.
“And I thought that you were in California,” retorted Brownell, carelessly, hands in pockets, holding sentiment down hard.
“Then you did not come here to see me?”
“On the contrary, I came to see Miss Lawton! Are you usually to be found in chicken houses?”
“Ah, she is, then? Suppose, as we must put up with each other’s society until Tatters leads Brooke to our rescue, that we play the truth game to kill time,—you know that truth can be trusted to kill almost anything nowadays; I will ask the first question. Did you give up the California trip because you wished to avoid me?”
“Yes, but not in exactly the way—Yes, I did,” this with an emphatic nod.
“It is my turn. Why did you not go to California?”
“Because—because—” and the eloquent Lucy became suddenly tongue-tied.