A rock garden close by formed a small plateau on which was a pergola. Suddenly his attention was drawn to it. He saw two people emerge from the shadow. At first he thought they were lovers; then he noticed they were struggling. As he bent forward trying to pierce the darkness he heard a woman’s faint cry of distress. Rising swiftly, he ran towards them.
CHAPTER SEVEN
PLUNGING
1.
A MAN in evening dress was holding a girl and trying to draw her closer to him.
“Leave me alone,” she moaned; “let me go or I’ll scream for help. I will, I tell you....”
“You little fool! As if a kiss or two would hurt you. Come on, I’ve got the car down below. Let me take you for a spin.”
“No, no. Let me go home to mother.”
He laughed. “You know your mother’s in the Casino playing the fool, with money I lent her,—the last, by God! she ever gets from me,—unless you are more amiable. I say, let’s go over to Ciro’s and have something.”
“Oh, please let me go. You’re hurting me. I must find mother. She wouldn’t like me to be alone here.”
“Bah! As long as she can gamble, your precious mother doesn’t care two pins what you do. Why, she knows you’re with me. She’s got an extra thousand to-night to keep out of the way. Come on, be reasonable! I’ll save your mother yet; but you’ve got to be pretty nice. Here, another kiss....”