There was no earthly reason why he should suppose that the Juno in whom he was interested at that moment was the girl who had been called Siren in her youth.
Yet, he had that intuitive feeling that they were the same—and without a reason.
“Nan,” he said, at the conclusion of the tale, “I have asked you to assist me in this matter. I had intended to take you to Virginia with me, believing that there might be a something about the appearance of this Juno to associate her with the past of Jimmy Duryea. But I have thought better of taking you down there. I will go to Virginia alone.”
“Oh, thank you. I do not care to go.”
“But,” he continued, with a smile, “I shall ask you to do a more difficult thing; and unless you can and will do it for me, I shall be compelled to do it for myself.”
“What is it?” she asked, somewhat startled by his manner.
“Wait a moment. Have you ever been back among those scenes of your childhood since you left them to go to South Africa?”
“No,” she replied.
“Well, I want you to go back there and——”