Her head went up with surprise and—he was sure—with disdain. She stopped abruptly as he jumped to his feet.
“I am caught—in flagrante delicto! I can only plead guilty and pray for mercy.”
“They said—they said you had gone to Mexico?” said Shirley questioningly.
“Plague take the newspapers! How dare they so misrepresent me!” he laughed.
“Yes, I read those newspaper articles with a good deal of interest. And my brother—”
“Yes, your brother—he is the best fellow in the world!”
She mused, but a smile of real mirth now played over her face and lighted her eyes.
“Those are generous words, Mr. Armitage. My brother warned me against you in quite unequivocal language. He told me about your match-box—”
“Oh, the cigarette case!” and he held it up. “It’s really mine—and I’m going to keep it. It was very damaging evidence. It would argue strongly against me in any court of law.”
“Yes, I believe that is true.” And she looked at the trinket with frank interest.