"
"I don't know that I do very much," she answered with a manner of
extreme bitterness, but more as if speaking to herself than to him.
She did as he ordered, and he proceeded to tie her wrists together
and to fasten them to the back of the chair on which she had seated
herself. He was careful not to draw the cords too tight, but at the
same time he made the fastening secure.
"You won't disturb mother, will you?" she asked quietly when he had
finished. "Her room's the one at the end of the passage."
"I don't want to disturb any one," he answered. "I only want to get
off quietly. I won't gag you, but don't you try to make any noise,
if you do I'll come back. Understand?"
"Oh, perfectly," she answered. "May I ask one question? Do you
feel very proud of yourself just now?"
He did not answer, but went out of the room quickly, and he had an
impression that she smiled as she watched him go, and that her smile
was bitter and a little contemptuous.
"What a girl," he muttered. "She scored every time. I didn't find
out a thing, she didn't do anything I expected or wanted her to.
She seemed as if she spotted me right off--I wonder if she did? I
wonder if she could be trusted?"
But then he thought of that photograph on the mantelpiece and his look
grew stern and hard again. He was careful to avoid the room the girl
had indicated as occupied by her mother, but of all the others on that
floor he made a hasty search without discovering anything to interest
him or anything of the least importance or at all unusual.
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