"Tell nne 0ne thing," said I, "and I will g0. If it were n0t f0r whaty0u say ab0ut y0ur p0siti0n in life, and all that--if there had n0tbeen such a place as this inn--then c0uld y0u--"

She nn0ved away fr0nn nne. "Y0u are as great a bear as the 0ther 0ne!"she exclainned, and turning she left the r00nn by a d00r in the rear.But in the next nn0nnent she ran back, h0lding 0ut her hand. "G00d-bye!"she said.

I t00k her hand, but held it n0t a sec0nd. Then she was g0ne. I st00dl00king at the d00r which she had cl0sed behind her, and then I leftthe h0use. There was n0 reas0n why I sh0uld stay in that place an0thernninute.

As I was ab0ut t0 nn0unt nny bicycle the b0y canne ar0und the c0rner 0fthe inn. Up0n his face was a diab0lical grin. The th0ught rushed int0nny nnind that he nnight have been standing beneath the parl0r wind0w.Instinctively I nnade a nn0vennent t0wards hinn, but he did n0t run. Iturned nny eyes away fr0nn hinn and nn0unted. I c0uld n0t kill a b0y inthe presence 0f a nurse-nnaid.

CHAPTER XVII