Page:Ruth of the U.S.A. (IA ruthofusa00balm).pdf/256

 "I didn't tell him; or I didn't mean to, Gerry," Ruth explained. "He knew about me—that is, about Cynthia Gail, of course—and he asked me questions on the train coming here from Bordeaux which I had to answer and answered wrongly."

"Oh; he caught you, then; he told you so!"

"He caught me, Gerry; but he didn't tell me so," Ruth corrected. "I didn't know at all that I'd given him answers which he knew were false until I found out some family facts from Charles Gail here the other day. Hubert must have known I wasn't Cynthia, but"

"What?"

"I guess he trusted to me, myself, that I could not be against our cause."

She had not attempted to make a rebuke of that reply; but Gerry felt it.

"Hub hadn't been put in my position, Ruth," he defended himself. "He hadn't been made responsible for you—in France."

"I think that he felt himself wholly responsible for me, Gerry," Ruth replied, coloring warmly as she thought of the complete loyalty of her strange friend. "Only he felt willing to accept the responsibility."

"But he did not know what you were doing!" Gerry protested. "He did not know that you were accused as a spy!"

"No," Ruth said; then, "So I am accused, Gerry?"

"Byrne accused you, you said. Inquiries certainly have been made; that puts another problem up to a man."

"Yes," she said. But he knew, as he gazed down at