“I still don’t think it’s wrong,” Alice declared honestly. “Some of you men seem to, but I’d swindle the government any day.”
“Then, for Heaven’s sake,” Nora wanted to know, “why waste all that good money?”
Alice waved a jewelled white hand toward Steven Denby.
“Behold my reformer!”
Ethel Cartwright looked at him quickly. Her distrust of motives was the result of her conversation with Daniel Taylor, who believed in no man’s good faith.
“Mr. Denby?” she asked, almost suspiciously.
“What has Mr. Denby to do with it?” Nora cried, equally surprised that it was his influence which had stayed the wilful Alice.
“He frightened me,” Alice averred.
“I want to have a good look at the man who can do that,” Michael cried.
“I’m afraid Mrs. Harrington is exaggerating,” Denby explained patiently; “I merely pointed out that things had come to a pass when it might be very awkward to fool with the Customs.”