She turned her head on its charming neck and looked around and up at him over one naked shoulder.
“Shall I come into your room?” she inquired.
“No!... when you’ve got some clothes on, call me.”
“I’m quite ready now,” she said calmly, and drew the Chinese slippers over her bare feet and passed a silken loop over the silver bell buttons on her right shoulder. Then, undisturbed, she continued to twist up her hair, following his movements in the mirror with unconcerned blue eyes.
He entered and seated himself, the impatient expression still creasing his forehead and altering his rather agreeable features.
“Miss Norne,” he said, “you’re absolutely convinced that these people mean to do you harm. Isn’t that true?”
“Of course,” she said simply.
“Then, until we get them, you’re running a serious risk. In fact, you live in hourly peril. That is your belief, isn’t it?”
She put the last peg into her thick, curly hair, lowered her arms, turned, dropped one knee over the other, and let her candid gaze rest on him in silence.
“What I mean to explain,” he said coldly, “is that as long as I induced you to go into this affair I’m responsible for you. If I let you out of my sight here in New York and if anything happens to you, I’ll be as guilty as the dirty beast who takes your life. What is your opinion? It’s up to me to stand by you now, isn’t it?”