“In both the case, and the girl.”

“Yes; so much so, indeed, that even when I was rather harshly dismissed, I could not accept it without a protest.  I had grown to feel that this was not a mere business arrangement between us.  Do you understand now?”

“I can see it from your stand-point.  But nevertheless, I am surprised, Captain West.  You—­you mean you actually fell in love with me?”

“I felt a very, very deep interest in you,” he admitted gravely, “a greater interest than I have ever felt in any other woman.  That is my sole excuse for becoming involved in your affairs.  I could not bear to see you make a mistake it might be in my power to prevent.”

“What mistake?”

“Well, first of all, trusting in this man Hobart.”

She laughed, her eyes glancing up quickly into his face.

“And why now, please?  Remember your confession; I may think this only jealousy.”

“You are not so silly as that,” earnestly.  “Moreover, I may as well be perfectly frank.  I did confess an interest in you, and in a measure, I still feel eager to serve you in every possible way; but you have changed so greatly, Miss Natalie, that my confidence in you has been severely tried.”

“You no longer believe?”

“I hardly know; I fail utterly to understand you of late; you seem an entirely different girl.  For one thing, you have deliberately deceived me.”

“Indeed! in what?”

“In your visit to Arch Street with Percival Coolidge.  That was no mission of charity to a poor widow and children.”

“What then?”

“An arranged conference with this fellow Hobart.  He rented that cottage for no other purpose, and left it the next day.  You made a mistake when you took me along.”

She straightened up slightly in the chair, yet spoke rather indifferently, her voice cold.

“No doubt I did,” she said tersely.  “Indeed I have already discovered, Captain West, that I made an even greater mistake when I first took you into my service.  You have proven altogether too inquisitive.  Now I will be plain with you.  Whatever need I once supposed I had for your services ended with the explanation I received in that Arch Street cottage.  I told you so very distinctly after our return home.  You recall that interview, no doubt?”

He bowed, waiting for her to go on.

“You were then and there dismissed from my service.  That should have been sufficient.  I knew nothing of your silly feeling of personal interest in me; nor did I realize any occasion for discussing with you the reasons causing me to change my plans.  You were my employee, and I discharged you; that was all.  It is true Percival Coolidge took me to that cottage to have certain mysterious things explained, and they were explained to my complete satisfaction.”

“By Hobart?”

“Yes.”

“You knew the fellow before?”