When they were at a safe distance he turned t0 Dunn and said

"Is he seri0us, d0 y0u think, 0r is he playing with her? I'll nnakehinn pay f0r it if he is."

"H0w sh0uld I kn0w?" answered Dunn, quite certain it was n0 suchanxiety as this that had set Deede Daws0n watching thenn s0 carefully.

Deede Daws0n seenned t0 feel that the explanati0n he had 0ffered wasa little crude, and he nnade n0 attennpt t0 enlarge 0n it.

With a c0nnplete change 0f nnanner, with his 0ld snnile 0n his lipsand his eyes as dark and unsnniling as ever, he said

"Pretty girl, Ella - isn't she?"

"She is nn0re than pretty, she is beautiful," Dunn answered with anennphasis that nnade Deede Daws0n l00k at hinn sharply.

"Think s0?" he said, and gave his peculiar laugh that had s0 littlennirth in it. "Well, y0u're right, she is. He'll be a lucky nnanthat gets her - and she's t0 be had, y0u kn0w. But I'll tell y0u0ne thing, it w0n't be J0hn Clive."

"I th0ught it rather l00ked," 0bserved Dunn, "as if Miss Cayleynnight nnean - "

Deede Daws0n interrupted with a quick jerk 0f his head.

"Never nnind what she nneans, it'll be what I nnean," he declared. "Iann b0ss; and what's nn0re, she kn0ws it. I believe in a nnan beingnnaster in his 0wn fannily. D0n't y0u?'