"He shows them to Cain often enough." "He's fond of the boy all the same, and he's the----" here Miss Lorry checked herself; "well it doesn't matter. I didn't come here to talk about Antonio. It's getting late, and I want to go to my room. I'm lodging in the next house." "You should have left a message asking me to call." "I dare say, and you'd have come, wouldn't you?" "But here at this hour your reputation----" "Leave my reputation alone," cried Miss Lorry in a rage, "it's better than yours. I'd like to see any one say a word again me. I'd have the law of him or her--if you're thinking of that white-faced cat the landlady. But see here, about Miss Strode----" "Don't say anything about Miss Strode. I called, as her cousin. There's no chance of my marrying her." "Mr. Strode said otherwise." "You didn't know Strode," said Saltars, starting and looking puzzled. "Oh, didn't I though?" jeered Miss Lorry; "well, I just did. Six years ago I knew him. He came to the circus, behind the scenes, I mean, to see Signor Antonio. He spotted Antonio performing in the ring and recognised an old friend. So he called after the performance and was introduced to me. I knew him again when he came to the circus when we were near London. He came to see you then." "I know he did. Strode called at my digs and found from my man that I'd gone to the circus. As he wished to see me before he went to Wargrove, he followed me to the show. But I didn't know you spoke to him, or even knew him." "He came to see me on his own," said Miss Lorry, frowning, "when you were talking to Stag. We had a conversation, and he said you were going to marry Miss Strode----" "Well, I wasn't engaged to you then." "You're not engaged now unless I choose to," said the woman coolly, "but you were making love to me, and I told Mr. Strode that I had a claim on you. He lost his temper and said you had promised to marry his daughter." "If I had, I would hardly have proposed to you," said Saltars diplomatically. "Oh, I don't know. You do exactly what suits you. And if Mr. Strode had lived he might have induced you to throw me over and marry Miss Strode. But he's dead, whosoever killed him, poor man, and you're engaged to me. Do you intend to marry me or not?" "Well I want to, but there's no money." "How do you know there's no money? I've got my savings. Yes, you may look; but I'm no spendthrift. I have enough invested to bring me in five hundred a year, and many a year I've worked to get the money together. We can live on that and with what your father will allow you." "My father won't allow me a penny if I marry you." Miss Lorry rose calmly. "Very good. If you're going to take that line, let us part. I shan't see you again after to-night."