“No! No! I didn’t come here to be pitied!” Her voice was firmer now, and there was a note of rising impatience in it. “I’ve been pitied—quite long enough! All I came to tell you is that all your money at the bank I am going to turn back to you; and, as fast as I can possibly earn it, I shall pay you every dollar I have spent.”
Bobby drew a deep sigh of regret, stepped back, and leaned his weight against the desk, his eyes brooding.
“I’m so sorry,” he said slowly. “You see—the circumstances were very strange. I wanted to spare you, if I could, a misfortune that would bring you some unhappiness. I guess I went about it the wrong way—but I meant it all right. Won’t you believe that?”
For a second, their eyes met in a look that each remembered later, when, that night, the episode was reviewed, inch by inch, and word by word, on sleepless pillows—Bobby solemnly wondering whether, had he taken her in his arms at that moment, their difficulties might have been solved—Helen remorsefully chiding herself for what she feared was a serious disclosure of a feeling she had tried to batter into submission.
“Perhaps you did,” she admitted, tugging herself loose from his eyes. “But it doesn’t make my position any more endurable. I don’t propose to be pensioned by you! I’m going to give all your money back—the capital, tomorrow—the amount I have used, at the earliest moment I can earn it!”
“You mustn’t do that!”
Bobby’s voice was stern, commanding. He stood erect and faced her determinedly.
“There’s more to this than you are aware of … more than I dare tell you! The lives of many people would unquestionably be affected! Whatever you may decide to do with that money, you can’t give it back to me! I won’t take it! I can’t take it … because you see, I’ve used it all up!”
Helen glanced up quickly, her eyes wide with amazement. She swallowed convulsively.
“W‑h‑a‑t?” she whispered. “What is that you say?”
“I’ve used it all up! … Do you know what that means?”
“No! Tell me! What does it mean?”
“Sit down,” he said gently. “I’ll try to explain … It’s not easy, though.”
She walked with some reluctance to the little divan and sat.
“Perhaps you never had it called to your attention,”—Bobby was feeling his way with caution—“that there is sometimes a strange relation between the voluntary, secret bestowal of a gift, without expectation of any return or reward, and certain significant results that accrue from it in the experience of the giver … Now I am not sure that this money I was so happy to put at your disposal is not that kind of an investment. Shortly after I arranged for it, something of quite tremendous importance occurred—something that dared not be trifled with by either of us … It’s almost hopeless to try to make it convincing to you, I know … Can’t you just take my word for it—and trust me—dear?”
Helen flushed deeply, and rose—her eyes flashing.
“No—you’re not dealing squarely with me!” she retorted hotly. “And I’m not—your—dear! You have humiliated me! There are many things I have wanted to know, and you seem to be able to clear up some mysteries; but you are plainly not disposed to do so. I’m going now. I shall arrange at the bank about the money. And—the rest of it—the part I’ve spent—I shall pay that back! You can depend on it!” She was at the door, her hand on the knob.
Bobby stepped swiftly to her side and covered her hand with his own.
“Listen!” he demanded soberly. “It is quite important, both for your sake and mine, that we do not set every tongue in this place wagging with the gossip that we met here to have a row. You’re ready to go stamping out through the office, rosy with rage. Much curiosity will be aroused and explanations will be in order.”
“Then you can make them! I do not feel that I owe anybody an explanation. If you think you do, that is your affair! Let me go, please.”
Bobby did not remove his detaining hand.
“My dear,” he said, scarcely above a whisper, “I appeal to your good sportsmanship! Granted—that you have cause to be indignant. Granted—that I have blunderingly placed you in an awkward predicament. Let us at least keep our misunderstanding to ourselves. Please! Compose yourself—and we’ll go out to face these people as if there were no trouble between us. Wouldn’t that be ever so much better?”
She hesitated for a long moment; looked up searchingly into his eyes, like a bewildered little child, and finally replied:
“Agreed.”
He released her hand and she walked to the window, took out a tiny vanity case and consulted her reflection, Bobby regarding her with repentant eyes. How wretchedly he had bungled everything—everything!
Presently she turned and faced him calmly, like a stranger.
“I’m quite ready, if you are.”
Bobby hesitated.
“But—really—don’t you think—” he stammered shyly, “that a wee bit of a smile might help to—to …”
“I’ll attend to that when we need it!”
He opened the door and signed for her to precede him. At that instant, she became another person, gracious, smiling.
Nancy Ashford, who had been hovering about, with curiosity and some anxiety, met them. She drew a quick breath, apparently of relief.
“I’m so glad you two have found some occasion to become acquainted at last,” she exclaimed, searching their faces eagerly.
“Yes—isn’t it?” responded Helen, slightly confused over her cue. “Doctor Merrick and I have been talking of so many interesting things—some of them quite mystifying, I’m afraid.”
Ah! … Good! … So that was it! … Mystifying things! … Mrs. Hudson had been asking questions … Somehow she had learned—by a chance word, perhaps—that Bobby Merrick was in a position to clear up some of the strange riddles bequeathed to her by her husband … So—that was what had
