Page:Henry rideout--The siamese cat.djvu/186

 curt conviction. "I never wrote this letter. The man you discharged has concocted it. He brought me here first, by forging this note from you."

With a growing flush at her outraged identity, Aunt Julia scanned the invitation to tiffin.

"No, indeed," he assured her. "Of course you never wrote it. It fooled me, however. They locked me into the room below, to keep the coast clear for deceiving you. I broke jail—there!" He pointed to the pool of darkness under the table. "Borkman is a dangerous man, and his next move he'll make against your niece. The carriage drove off immediately after you came—without Chao Phya. We'd best make for home at once—if we can get out."

"By all means," replied Aunt Julia. Though her flush gave way to pallor, she rose quiet and ready, a prim little mistress of her feelings.

Their captors had counted on bewilderment,