“They never leave me,” she murmured, with dulcet passion. There was in her voice a suggestion of desolation—a desolation that was the blighting effect of letting the cherished missives go from her.
“Well, they can leave you now, all right,” the lawyer remarked unsympathetically, but with returning cheerfulness, since he saw the end of his quest in visible form before him. He reached quickly forward for the packet, which Aggie extended willingly enough. But it was Mary who, with a swift movement, caught and held it.
“Not quite yet, Mr. Irwin, I'm afraid,” she said, calmly.
The lawyer barely suppressed a violent ejaculation of annoyance.
“But there's the money waiting for you,” he protested, indignantly.
The rejoinder from Mary was spoken with great deliberation, yet with a note of determination that caused a quick and acute anxiety to the General's representative.
“I think,” Mary explained tranquilly, “that you had better see our lawyer, Mr. Harris, in reference to this. We women know nothing of such details of business settlement.”
“Oh, there's no need for all that formality,” Irwin urged, with a great appearance of bland friendliness.
“Just the same,” Mary persisted, unimpressed, “I'm quite sure you would better see Mr. Harris first.” There was a cadence of insistence in her voice that assured the lawyer as to the futility of further pretense on his part.
“Oh, I see,” he said disagreeably, with a frown to indicate his complete sagacity in the premises.