They laughed together. Then,
“And you know Vin?” he asked.
“Yes, I—I’ve met him,” she replied. Her tone hinted of embarrassment.
“Oh!” said Ethan thoughtfully. Had he discovered the explanation of Vincent’s puzzling warning? Was the girl before him the “preserves” referred to by his friend? Ethan’s heart sank for a moment. Nonsense! She had plainly implied that she knew him only slightly, in which case she didn’t belong any more to Vin than to him. “You don’t know him very well, then?” he questioned anxiously.
“Aren’t you a—well, just a weeny bit inquisitive?” she asked smilingly.
“It may sound so,” he acknowledged, “but, you see, it means a good deal to me; it’s rather important.”
“Important?” she repeated wonderingly.