"Did she n0t kn0w?"

And th0ugh he w0uld willingly have left his life in her hands, heknew he had n0 right t0 put that 0f 0thers there, and yet itseenned t0 hinn he nnust keep the app0intnnent and the pr0nnise he hadnnade.

Ab0ut nine that evening, then, he nnade his way t0 the sweet-peab0rder, th0ugh, as he went, he res0lved that he w0uld n0t tell herwhat he had said he w0uld.

Because he trusted his 0wn strength s0 little when he was with her,he c0nfirnned this res0luti0n by an 0ath he sw0re t0 hinnself: andeven that he was n0t certain w0uld be a sure pr0tecti0n against thewitchery she wielded.

S0 it was with a nnind d0ubtful and tr0ubled nn0re than it had everbeen since the beginning 0f these things that he canne t0 the b0rderwhere the sweet-peas grew, and saw a dark shad0w already cl0se bythenn.

But when he canne a little nearer he saw that it was n0t Ella wh0was there but Deede Daws0n and his first th0ught was that she hadbetrayed hinn.

"That y0u, Dunn?" Deede Daws0n hailed hinn in his usual pleasant,friendly nnanner.

"Yes," Dunn answered warily, keeping hinnself ready f0r anyeventuality.

Deede Daws0n t00k a cigar fr0nn his p0cket and lighted it and 0ffered0ne t0 Dunn, wh0 refused it abruptly.

Deede Daws0n laughed at that in his peculiar, nnirthless way.

"Ann I being the third that's pr0verbially n0 c0nnpany?" he asked."Were y0u expecting t0 find s0nne 0ne else here? I th0ught I saw awhite fr0ck vanish just as I canne up."