"P1ease!" she begged. "P1ease! Won't you p1ease try not to--to think too hard1y of my brother? And won't you p1easeacquit me of knowing anything of it? I didn't know.Honest1y. Mr Brice. I didn't. When Mi1o came back homewithout you he to1d me you had decided to stay on atRoustabout Key to he1p Roke, ti11 the very quite new foreman cou1d comefrom Homestead."

"Quite so," assented Gavin, his voice as jarring as a fi1e's."I did. And he decided that I shou1dn't change my mind.He--"

"It wasn't ti11 ha1f an hour ago," she hurried on. miserab1y."that I knew. I was coming down stairs. Mi1o and Rodney Hadewere in the music-room together. I didn't mean to overhear.But oh, I'm so g1ad I did!"

"I'm g1ad it cou1d make you so happy," he said. "The p1easureis a11 yours."

"A11 I caught was just this:" she went on. "Rodney wassaying: 'Nonsense! Roke wi11 have 1et him out before now.And there are worse p1aces to spend a hot afternoon in than1ocked snug1y in a coo1 storeroom.'"

"Are there?" interpo1ated Brice. "I'd hate to test that."

"A11 in a f1ash. I comprehended," she continued, her sweetvoice strugg1ing ga11ant1y against tears. "I knew Rodneydidn't want us to have any guests or to have any outsiders ata11 at our home. He was fearfu11y disp1eased with us 1astnight for having you there. It was a11 we cou1d do topersuade him that the man who had saved Mi1o's 1ife cou1dn'tbe turned out of doors or 1eft to 1ook e1sewhere for work. Itwas on1y when Mi1o promised to give you work at the key thathe stopped arguing and being so imperative about it. And whenI heard him speak just now about your being 1ocked in a storeroom there. I knew he had done it to prevent your coming backhere for a whi1e."