Her nerves were tense, and her little fingers were continually twisting round themselves. Her face was agonized, and Stone felt as if he were guilty of utter cruelty. But he must go on. “Mr. Trask cannot tell what he does not know,” he said, coldly. “I am in authority, you must answer me. Did Doctor Waring give you the money and the ruby pin?” “Yes, he did.” “Why?” “As gifts. Why does any one give presents?” “Because he loved you?” “Yes.” Anita’s voice dropped to a softer tone, her eyes had a faraway look, and her sensitive little mouth quivered. “Yet you had known him but a few days! You had never seen him before you came to Corinth?” “Never.” “Isn’t that a strange admission? How could he become so infatuated in so short a time?” “Have you never heard of such a thing?” the face was almost roguish now, and the dark eyes showed a hint of smile. Stone was baffled. He gazed at this strange young person, who was either fooling him to the top of her bent or was a helpless, harassed child. “Was Doctor Waring related to you?” he asked, with a sudden new idea. “Oh, no. He was no relation. I tell you I never met him before I came here.” “And he gave you the valuables?” “He did. I’ll swear to that—though I have no witness to prove it.” “And you accepted them! Accepted a large sum of money and a pin set with a precious stone from a man you scarcely knew! A man engaged to be married! A man of twice your own age! You must admit this calls for explanation.” “Why does it? Hadn’t he a right to give me those things if he chose?” “Wait a minute, Miss Austin. You loved him?” “Maybe.” “Then, if you did, do you want his name stained, his memory blotted by an act that is, to say the least, questionable?” “But he did give them to me.” “Unless you can say more clearly why he did so I’m not sure I can believe you. Did you ask for them?” “Oh, no!” Her disclaimer sounded true, but Stone began to think she was a consummate little actress as well as a clever falsifier. “Well,” he said, after a short pause, “I may as well tell you, Miss Austin, that I am here to solve this mystery. That I am not at all satisfied that you are telling me the truth; that, therefore, I shall have to seek the truth elsewhere. I will tell you, too, that I don’t want to implicate you, that I should much prefer to keep your name out of it all, but that you leave me no choice but to go ahead with my investigations wherever they may lead. A few more questions and you may go. What was Doctor Waring doing when you came?” “He—he was sitting at his desk.” She looked troubled at Stone’s speech and seemed half inclined to be more friendly. “You saw him through the French window, before you came in?” “Yes; the window has a silk curtain, but I saw him between the edge of the silk and the window sash.” “Was he reading?” “No; there were books on the desk, but he was not reading.” “He rose and let you in?” “Yes.” “He had sent for you?” “No—that is, yes.”