第34章 MARKED MONEY(2)

"No," Aggie answered, gushingly."But all his letters were in writing, you know.Such wonderful letters!" She raised her blue eyes toward the ceiling in a naive rapture."So tender, and so--er--interesting!" Somehow, the inflection on the last word did not altogether suggest the ingenuous.

"Yes, yes, I dare say," Irwin agreed, hastily, with some evidences of chagrin.He had no intention of dwelling on that feature of the letters, concerning which he had no doubt whatsoever, since he knew the amorous General very well indeed.

They would be interesting, beyond shadow of questioning, horribly interesting.Such was the confessed opinion of the swain himself who had written them in his folly--horribly interesting to all the reading public of the country, since the General was a conspicuous figure.

Mary intervened with a suavity that infuriated the lawyer almost beyond endurance.

"But you're quite sure, Agnes," she questioned gently, "that General Hastings did promise to marry you?" The candor of her manner was perfect.

And the answer of Aggie was given with a like convincing emphasis.

"Oh, yes!" she declared, tensely."Why, I would swear to it."The limpid eyes, so appealing in their soft lusters, went first to Mary, then gazed trustingly into those of the routed attorney.

"You see, Mr.Irwin, she would swear to that," emphasized Mary.

"We're beaten," he confessed, dejectedly, turning his glance toward Mary, whom, plainly, he regarded as his real adversary in the combat on his client's behalf."I'm going to be quite frank with you, Miss Turner, quite frank," he stated with more geniality, though with a very crestfallen air.Somehow, indeed, there was just a shade too much of the crestfallen in the fashion of his utterance, and the woman whom he addressed watched warily as he continued."We can't afford any scandal, so we're going to settle at your own terms." He paused expectantly, but Mary offered no comment; only maintained her alert scrutiny of the man.The lawyer, therefore, leaned forward with a semblance of frank eagerness.Instantly, Aggie had become agog with greedily blissful anticipations, and she uttered a slight ejaculation of joy; but Irwin paid no heed to her.He was occupied in taking from his pocket a thick bill-case, and from this presently a sheaf of banknotes, which he laid on the desk before Mary, with a little laugh of discomfiture over having been beaten in the contest.

As he did so, Aggie thrust forth an avaricious hand, but it was caught and held by Mary before it reached above the top of the desk, and the avaricious gesture passed unobserved by the attorney.

"We can't fight where ladies are concerned," he went on, assuming, as best he might contrive, a chivalrous tone."So, if you will just hand over General Hastings' letters, why, here's your money."Much to the speaker's surprise, there followed an interval of silence, and his puzzlement showed in the knitting of his brows.

"You have the letters, haven't you?" he demanded, abruptly.

Aggie coyly took a thick bundle from its resting place on her rounded bosom.

"They never leave me," she murmured, with dulcet passion.There was in her voice a suggestion of desolation--a desolation that was the blighting effect of letting the cherished missives go from her.

"Well, they can leave you now, all right," the lawyer remarked unsympathetically, but with returning cheerfulness, since he saw the end of his quest in visible form before him.He reached quickly forward for the packet, which Aggie extended willingly enough.But it was Mary who, with a swift movement, caught and held it.

"Not quite yet, Mr.Irwin, I'm afraid," she said, calmly.

The lawyer barely suppressed a violent ejaculation of annoyance.

"But there's the money waiting for you," he protested, indignantly.

The rejoinder from Mary was spoken with great deliberation, yet with a note of determination that caused a quick and acute anxiety to the General's representative.

"I think," Mary explained tranquilly, "that you had better see our lawyer, Mr.Harris, in reference to this.We women know nothing of such details of business settlement.""Oh, there's no need for all that formality," Irwin urged, with a great appearance of bland friendliness.

"Just the same," Mary persisted, unimpressed, "I'm quite sure you would better see Mr.Harris first." There was a cadence of insistence in her voice that assured the lawyer as to the futility of further pretense on his part.