There was a bit of hauteur in her voice. She preserved much of the
acerbity which had marked her demeanor when they had said good-by to
each other. He would not acknowledge to himself that he hoped she would
meet him on another plane; he meekly accepted her attitude as the proper
one. He was a sailor, and she was the daughter of Julius Marston.
"Do you blame me for being suspicious in regard to what you intend to
say to my father?" she demanded. "I tell you frankly that I came here
looking for you. We must settle our affair."
"I am trying to get word with him about my own business--simply my own
business, Miss Marston."
"But as to me! What are you going to say to him about me? You remember
I told you that I intended to protect myself," she declared, with some
insolence.
"I thought you had a better opinion of me," he protested. "Miss Marston,
as far as I am concerned, you never were on that schooner. I know
nothing about you. I do not even know you. Do you understand?"
He started away hastily. "Don't stay here. Don't speak to me. Somebody
may see you."
"'Come back here!"
He stopped.
"I demand an explicit promise from you that if you are able to talk with
my father you will never mention my name to him or try to take advantage
of the dreadful mistake I made."
"I promise, on my honor," he said, straightening.
"Thank you, sir."
"And now that I have promised," he added, red in his tanned cheeks,
"I want to say to you, Miss Marston, that you have insulted me
gratuitously. I suppose I'm not much in the way of a gentleman as you
meet them in society. I'm only a sailor. But I'm neither a tattler nor
a blackmailer. I know the square thing to do where a woman is concerned,
and I would have done it without being put under a pledge." He bowed and
walked away.
She gazed after him, a queer sparkle in her eyes. "We'll see about you,
you big child!" she murmured.
She entered the waiting-room of the Marston & Waller suite, and was
informed that her father was busy with a board meeting.
"But it's merely a bit of routine business. It will soon be over, Miss
Marston--if you will be so good as to wait."
After a time the gentlemen filed out, but she waited on.