Page:Gaston Leroux--The bride of the sun.djvu/58

44 "But why should he, Father?"

"Is there not a reason why he should, my daughter?"

This time, Maria-Teresa blushed deeply and Dick tried to look unconcerned, while Don Christobal smiled at them quizzically.

"So you thought your old father was blind, eh?... You thought he guessed nothing ... that he did not understand what you had left behind you in London?... Well, Dick?"

"Keally, sir ... I ... I ... hardly dared hope...."

"Didn't you?... There, there, that's enough.... You may put the bracelet on her arm again.... Pair of young fools."

Maria-Teresa slipped her arm through her father's, and squeezed it.

"Dear Father!"

Then, turning to Dick and opening her reticule, she whispered rapidly:

"Say you sent it. What can it matter?"

Dick, completely taken aback, clasped the bracelet on Maria-Teresa's wrist without protest He scarcely heard a word said by the Marquis, who was delighted to have solved the mystery.

"Well, young man, you can flatter yourself that you thoroughly mystified everybody." And with that he hurried after Uncle Francis, who