I could only shake my head without looking up. There was no defense to
be made. Oh, I deserved the scorn in his voice.
"They--they persuaded you, I suppose, and it was to help somebody? It
was not a practical joke?"
"No," I rallied a little spirit at that. It had been anything but a
joke.
He drew a long breath.
"I think I understand," he said slowly, "but--you could have saved me
something. I must have given you all a great deal of amusement."
"Oh, no," I protested. "I--I want to tell you--"
But he deliberately left me and went over to the door. There he turned
and looked down at Aunt Selina. He was a little white, but there was no
passion in his face.
"Thank you for telling me all this, Miss Caruthers," he said easily.
"Now that you and I know, I'm afraid the others will miss their little
diversion. Good night."
Oh, it was all right for Jim to laugh and say that he was only huffed
a little and would be over it by morning. I knew better. There was
something queer in his face as he went out. He did not even glance in my
direction. He had said very little, but he had put me as effectually in
the wrong as if he had not kissed me--deliberately kissed me--that very
evening, on the roof.
I did not go to sleep again. I lay wretchedly thinking things over and
trying to remember who Jezebel was, and toward morning I distinctly
heard the knob of the door turn. I mistrusted my ears, however, and so
I got up quietly and went over in the darkness. There was no sound
outside, but when I put my hand on the knob I felt it move under my
fingers. The counter pressure evidently alarmed whoever it was, for the
knob was released and nothing more happened. But by this time anything
so uncomplicated as the fumbling of a knob at night had no power to
disturb me. I went back to bed.