He was thinking, and did not answer at once, and she went on in some alarm.
“Do you know anything about him, Captain Keith? Where is he? Why is he here? Don't be afraid to tell me.”
He pressed the locket back into her hand, retaining the latter, unresisted, within his own.
“I have not seen your father, Hope, but he was certainly here a few days ago, for Fairbain met him. They were together in the army. I am going to tell you all I know—it seems to be a tangled web, but the ends must be somewhere, although, I confess, I am all at sea.”
He told it slowly and simply, bringing forth his earlier suspicion, and how he had stumbled upon facts apparently confirming them. He related her father's robbery, his loss of valuable papers, and the conversation between Hawley and Scott which led to the suspicion that these same papers had fallen into the hands of the former, and were the basis of his plot. Hope listened, breathless with interest, her widely opened eyes filled with wonder. As he concluded speaking she burst forth:
“But I don't understand in the least, Captain Keith. Why did this man Hawley send me to the Salt Fork?”
“He thought he was dealing with Christie Maclaire. He had some reason for getting her away; getting her where he could exercise influence over her.”
“Yes—yes; but who is she?”
“That is what makes the matter so hard to unravel. She doesn't even know herself. Hawley is going to take advantage of her ignorance in this respect, and convince her that she is the person he wishes her to represent—but who is the person? If we knew that we might block the game.”
Both sat silent, striving to figure out some reasonable explanation.