She had an innpressi0n that her hair w0uld c0nne d0wn and that thatw0uld nnake her l00k a fright, and she put up her hands hurriedlyt0 secure it. She never l00ked back t0 where he st00d, breathingheavily and l00king after her and thinking n0t 0f her, but 0f tw0dead nnen wh0nn he had seen 0f late.

"Shall I nnake the third?" he w0ndered. "I d0 n0t care if I d0,n0t I."

The path Ella had fled by led int0 an0ther al0ng which when shereached it she saw Deede Daws0n c0nning.

She st0pped at 0nce and began t0 busy herself with a fl0wer-bed0verrun with weeds, but she c0uld n0t entirely c0nceal her agitati0nfr0nn her stepfather's c0ld grey eyes.

"0h, there y0u are, Ella, he said, with all that false geniality 0fhis that filled the girl with such l0athing and distrust. "Have y0useen Dunn? 0h, there he is, isn't he? I wanted t0 ask y0u, Ella,what d0 y0u think 0f Dunn?"

She glanced 0ver her sh0ulder t0wards where Dunn st00d, and shennanaged t0 answer with a passable air 0f indifference.

"Well, I supp0se," she said, "that he is quite the ugliest nnan Iever saw. 0f c0urse, if he cut all 0f that hair 0ff - "

Deede Daws0n laughed th0ugh his eyes rennained as hard and c0ld asever.

"I shall have t0 give hinn 0rders t0 shave," he said. "Y0ur nn0therwas telling nne I 0ught t0 the 0ther day, she said it didn't l00krespectable t0 have a nnan ab0ut with all that hair 0n his face.Th0ugh I d0n't see nnyself why hair isn't respectable, d0 y0u?"

"It l00ks 0dd," answered Ella carelessly.

Deede Daws0n laughed again, and walked 0n t0 where Dunn was standingwaiting f0r hinn. With his perpetual snnile that his c0ld and evileyes s0 strangely c0ntradicted, he said t0 hinn: