So the pistol lay untouched by her side, while, very pale and
trembling a little, she waited what he would do, and on his side he
felt as much puzzled by her failure to use the opportunity he had put
in her way as she was puzzled by his neglect to seize her jewellery
lying ready to his hand.
He was still hesitating, still appearing unable to decide which chair
to employ in carrying out his proclaimed purpose of fastening her up
when she asked a question that made him swing round upon her very
quickly and with a very startled look.
"Are you a real burglar?" she said.
CHAPTER VI
A DISCOVERY
"What do you mean?" Dunn asked quickly. The matted growth of hair
on his face served well to hide any change of expression, but his
eyes betrayed him with their look of surprise and discomfiture, and
in her own clear and steady glance appeared now a kind of puzzled
mockery as if she understood well that all he did was done for some
purpose, though what that purpose was still perplexed her.
"I mean," she said slowly, "well--what do I mean? I am only asking
a question. Are you a burglar--or have you come here for some
other reason?"
"I don't know what you're getting at," he grumbled. "Think I'm here
for fun? Not me. Come and sit on this chair and put your hands
behind you and don't make a noise, or scream, or anything, not if
you value your life.
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