Page:Randall Parrish--My Lady of the South.djvu/205

THE TABLES TURNED God I am not, then the assassin must have come by the way of the secret passage. He may have found it by accident, but it has served his purpose, and a search of it might give us his trail. I plead with you for this opportunity to vindicate myself."

What he saw in the countenance of the girl, as his eyes fell from mine to her face, I cannot tell, but his expression softened perceptibly, a slight smile curling his lips.

"You have an advocate here. Lieutenant, who does not need to speak in order to influence me. I would not be justified in conducting you through this passage in person. The secret is mine merely in trust, but I will deal fairly with you. I have accepted your parole, and am going to leave you here with Jean, while I take a light and make a careful exploration. Is this satisfactory?"

I bowed in silence, fully aware I had no right to expect more. He stepped back, drew an afghan up over the motionless body lying on the lounge, and advanced to the door.

"You will not attempt to leave this room until I return," he said, pausing to glance back at us.

"I will not, Colonel Donald."

"I may be doing wrong," he admitted, as if arguing the matter with himself, "but I seem to have imbibed some of Jean's faith."

We heard his steps in the hall; then our ears followed his movements as he went up the stairs. Our eyes met.

"Your confidence in me is more than I have any right to expect," I ventured, feeling I must speak.

"Perhaps it is woman's intuition," she replied quietly, [ 191 ]