“Ah! Come in, Mr. Goulard.”
Nick entered and followed her into a small rear parlor, divided from that in front by a curtained doorway. Through the broad portière, however, Nick could see that the front room was unoccupied. Listening intently, moreover, he could hear not a sound indicating that other persons were in the house.
Upon taking the chair to which the woman invited him, nevertheless, Nick inquired:
“Do I find you alone here? As you may infer, Miss Badger, my business with you is of a private nature.”
The woman sat down at the opposite side of a small center table, near which Nick had seated himself. She did not reply for a moment. Resting both elbows on the table and gazing across it at him, she then said, with seeming indifference:
“Yes, I am alone here. Contrary to what you say, however, I have not the slightest idea, Mr. Goulard, why you want to meet me.”
“Why, then, did you consent to see me?” asked Nick pointedly.[Pg 24]
“Curiosity,” asserted Sadie tersely. “I wondered what you wanted and what you were like.”
“You had no other reason?”
“None whatever. You are a total stranger to me, Mr. Goulard.”