Her soft laugh was free and
unconstrained, her smile gay and remotely suggestive of mischief. At
times he thought she was playing the game too well for one who
professed to be concerned about the future.
On the third day he was convicted of duplicity. She went off for a
walk alone, leaving him safely anchored in what he afterwards came to
look upon as a pre-arranged game of auction-bridge. When she came in
after an absence of at least two hours, the game was just breaking
up. He noted the questioning look that Mrs. Gaston bestowed upon her
fair charge, and also remarked that it contained no sign of reproof.
The girl went up to her room without so much as a word with him. Her
face was flushed and she carried her head disdainfully. He was
greatly puzzled.
The puzzle was soon explained. He waited for her on the stairway as
she came down alone to dinner.
"You told me that your friends were not in Interlaken, Mr. Schmidt,"
she said coldly. "Why did you feel called upon to deceive me?"
He bit his lip. For an instant he reflected, and then gave an evasive
answer.
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