Carroll’s mind flew back to his fatally misinterpreted conversation with the young Caracuñan.
“What did he mean by letting me think that you shouldn’t associate with Miss Polly?”
“Oh, he had the usual erroneous dread of leprosy contagion, I suppose.”
“May I ask you another question, Mr. Per—I beg your pardon, Dr. Pruyn?” said the visitor, almost timidly.
“Perkins will do.” The other smiled wanly. “Ask me anything you want to.”
“Why did you run away that day on the tram-car?”
“To avoid trouble, of course.”
“You? Why, you go about searching for dangerous and difficult jobs. That won’t do!”
“Not at all. It’s only when I can’t get away from them. But I couldn’t risk arrest then. Some one would surely have recognized me as Luther Pruyn. You see, I’ve been here before.”
“Then I don’t see why they didn’t identify you, anyway.”