Page:The Breath of Scandal (1922).djvu/173

 "What happened, old fellow?" Gregg questioned him, gently.

"She doesn't want me!"

"What does she want, Bill?"

"Rinderfeld!"

Gregg started, in spite of himself. "What did you say?"

Billy went back a little to explain. "She went to see Rinderfeld a couple of weeks ago, you know."

"You told me; so did he."

"I didn't want her to see him or have anything to do with him but I didn't dream that she could let that man attract her. I shouldn't say that, perhaps; a thing as low as Rinderfeld couldn't attract but he's fascinated her like a snake a bird; or he's hypnotized her. Ever since she's called on him, she's been telephoning him and doing what he tells her—no matter what, and quoting him to me. She lied direct to-day to Stanway because he told her to."

"Oh!" said Gregg. "Stanway was there to-day, was he?"

"That made our trouble."

"How?"

"She told him Mrs. Hale knew!"

"Wait!" pleaded Gregg. "Let's see! Stanway came there to see her mother, I suppose."

"Yes; and Marjorie got her mother out of the way, met him herself so she could lie to him, as Rinderfeld instructed her, and tell him her mother already knew so he wouldn't wait to tell her mother."

"Well, did he?"

"No. But"

"Good girl, Marjorie, I'd say. Bill, what would you have the girl do?"