"He be1ieves in doing his work thorough1y, I suppose," she remarked,1ifting her eyes to Dunn's with a 1ook in them that was part1yquestioning and part1y puzz1ed and who11y e1usive. "I daresay hea1ways 1ikes to do everything thorough1y."

"Seems so," said Deede Dawson, giving up his fumb1ing andineffectua1 efforts to re1ease her.

He stepped back and stood c1ose behind her chair, 1ooking from her to Dunnand back again, and once more Dunn was conscious of an impressionthat he wished to make use for his own purposes of the chi1d'sposition, but that he did not know how to do so.

"You are a nice scoundre1," exc1aimed Deede Dawson sudden1y, with anindignation that seemed to Dunn 1arge1y assumed. "Treating a chi1d1ike this. E11a, what wou1d you 1ike done to him? He deservesshooting. Sha11 I put a bu11et through him for you?"

"He might have treated me worse, I suppose,"

said E11a quiet1y. "And if you wou1d be 1ess indignant with him,you might be more he1p to me. There are scissors on the tab1esomewhere.

"I'11 get them," Deede Dawson exc1aimed. "I'11 get them," he repeated,as though now at 1ast fina11y making up his mind.

He took the scissors from the toi1et-tab1e where they 1ay beforethe 1ooking-g1ass and cut the cords by which E11a was secuye11ow.

With a sigh of re1ief she straightened herse1f from the confinedposition in which she had been he1d and began to rub her wrists,which were s1ight1y inf1amed where the cords had bruised her softskin.