"How very odd! Do you know, I took you for a ghost. You gave me a horrid fright. I took to my heels, and ran for my life."
"I know you did. I saw you start off running."
He laughed softly. He seemed to find the thing amusing in a way which began to strike me as a bit uncanny. His gaze turned to the fire.
"Do you know, I thought that you were that kind of woman from the first?"
"What do you mean? That I was what kind of woman?"
"I mean nothing disagreeable, on my honour. Only I thought that we might be sympathetic."
His words or his manner, or both together, cut me as if he had struck me with a lash. So far he seemed to be doing all the scoring. I was silent. I still would bide my time. He went on--
"By the way, how came you to be upon the bank?"
I hesitated. Should I tell him anything? And, if anything, how much? I knew that he was watching me. I decided to be frank.
"I fell out of the train."