"You will hare to do more for me; you will have to promise, and you will have to keep your promise."
It seemed an unreasonable request to make--especially in that insistent fashion--such a promise no man could be sure of keeping. A thousand things might be against him. I might shoot better than I had ever shot in my life, and yet not be certain of topping the score. Yet, when I saw the something that was in her eyes, I cast caution to the wind.
"I promise."
She held out her hand.
"Good-night."
She allowed me to retain her hand for a moment in mine.
"I know you will keep the promise you have made."
She was gone. I turned into my room. And, when in it, I reflected.
"If she knows that I will keep the promise I have made she knows a good deal more than I do. I wonder what will happen if I don't. I can, as a rule, see pretty straight along the barrel of a gun, but I do hope to goodness the birds will be good enough to cross my line of fire. She's the sort of girl to take the miscarriage even of such a promise as an omen. I want the omen to be all the other way."
Some one knocked at the door. It was Archie. He had a smoking jacket on.