Page:Twilight.djvu/330

 he has been there," Margaret said desperately. "Let me pass."

"You may go."

"Insolence!" But Margaret hurried on and he could not let her go alone.

"I will go into the drawing-room. Get the carriage up. We mustn't stay here …" She spoke breathlessly.

"You are not frightened of her?" He hardly knew what to think, that Margaret was concealing anything from him was unbelievable, unbearable.

"Frightened? No. But I want to be away from her presence, vicinity. She makes me feel ill…"

Margaret thought the danger was averted, or would be if she could get away without any more explanation. She had obscured the issue. Peter Kennedy would come back and pay all that was asked. Gabriel would never know that it was the second and not the first attempt at blackmailing from which they were suffering. But she underrated his intelligence, he was not at all so easily put off. He got the carriage round and put her in it, enwrapping her with the same care as always. He was very silent, however, as they drove homeward and his expression was inscrutable. She questioned his face but without result, put out her hand and he held it.

"We are not still thinking of Mrs. Roope, Gabriel?"