? ? ? ? "It was about the late Sir Charles Baskerville that I have come here to see you."
? ? ? ? The freckles started out on the lady's face.
? ? ? ? "What can I tell you about him?" she asked, and her fingers played nervously over the stops of her typewriter.
? ? ? ? "You knew him, did you not?"
? ? ? ? "I have already said that I owe a great deal to his kindness. If I am able to support myself it is largely due to the interest which he took in my unhappy situation."
? ? ? ? "Did you correspond with him?"
? ? ? ? The lady looked quickly up with an angry gleam in her hazel eyes.
? ? ? ? "What is the object of these questions?" she asked sharply.
? ? ? ? "The object is to avoid a public scandal. It is better that I should ask them here than that the matter should pass outside our control."
? ? ? ? She was silent and her face was still very pale. At last she looked up with something reckless and defiant in her manner.
? ? ? ? "Well, I'll answer," she said.
Pages:
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182