"By all means. Just come along with me." Elizabeth struck in. "Just a moment, Terence. There's Mr. Gainor, and he's been asking to see you. You can take the sheriff out to see El Sangre later. Besides, half a dozen people want to talk to the sheriff, and you mustn't monopolize him. Miss Wickson begged me to get her a chance to talk to you--the real Sheriff Minter. Do you mind?" "Pshaw," said the sheriff. "I ain't no kind of a hand at talking to the womenfolk. Where is she?" "Down yonder, sheriff. Shall we go?" "The old lady with the cane?" "No, the girl with the bright hair." "Doggone me," muttered the sheriff. "Well, let's saunter down that way." He waved to Terence, who, casting a black glance in the direction of Mr. Gainor, went off to execute Elizabeth's errand. Plainly Elizabeth had won the first engagement, but Vance was still confident. The dinner table would tell the tale. CHAPTER 11 Elizabeth left the ordering of the guests at the table to Vance, and she consulted him about it as they went into the dining room. It was a long, low-ceilinged room, with more windows than wall space. It opened onto a small porch, and below the porch was the garden which had been the pride of Henry Cornish. Beside the tall glass doors which led out onto the porch she reviewed the seating plans of Vance. "You at this end and I at the other," he said. "I've put the sheriff beside you, and right across from the sheriff is Nelly. She ought to keep him busy. The old idiot has a weakness for pretty girls, and the younger the better, it seems. Next to the sheriff is Mr. Gainor. He's a political power, and what time the sheriff doesn't spend on you and on Nelly he certainly will give to Gainor. The arrangement of the rest doesn't matter. I simply worked to get the sheriff well-pocketed and keep him under your eye." "But why not under yours, Vance? You're a thousand times more diplomatic than I am." "I wouldn't take the responsibility, for, after all, this may turn out to be a rather solemn occasion, Elizabeth." "You don't think so, Vance?" "I pray not." "And where have you put Terence?" "Next to Nelly, at your left." "Good heavens, Vance, that's almost directly opposite the sheriff. You'll have them practically facing each other." It was the main thing he was striving to attain. He placated her carefully. "I had to. There's a danger. But the advantage is huge. You'll be there between them, you might say. You can keep the table talk in hand at that end. Flash me a signal if you're in trouble, and I'll fire a question down the table at the sheriff or Terry, and get their attention. In the meantime you can draw Terry into talk with you if he begins to ask the sheriff what you consider leading questions. In that way, you'll keep the talk a thousand leagues away from the death of Black Jack."