“Her behavior!” said Dudley, mockingly.  “Do you mean her behavior to me, or to you?”

“Both.  It was that of a modest, straightforward girl.”

“Very straightforward—­to me.  Very modest to you.  But I would not waste too much time over her virtues if I were you.”

“I don’t want to waste any,” replied Max, shortly.  “I don’t see how we can shake her off, since she has offered to go back to the wharf with us.  But I shall only be alone with her for the few minutes you leave us here.  Or, better still, I’ll go with you, and wait while you see your friend.”

“What friend?”

“I thought you said you had an appointment with some one, and were going to put him off.”

“Oh, yes.  Well, let us go to him now.”

And Dudley softly opened the outer door.

Max perceived that what he proposed was to give Carrie the slip.  He drew back a step.

“We can’t go without telling her, at least I can’t.  The girl’s quite right.  It would be safer for her to go with us.  For it’s an awful place, not fit to trust oneself in.”

“And you think it would be the safer for the presence with us of one of the gang?”

“She is not one of the gang!” cried Max, involuntarily raising his voice.  “I’d stake my life on there being no harm in her!”

The door of the sitting-room was opened behind them, and Carrie came out.

“I couldn’t help hearing what you said,” she said, quietly.  “But you needn’t quarrel about me.  One of you says there’s no harm in me; the other says there is.  I dare say you’re both right.  If you don’t want me to go to the wharf with you, Mr. Horne, why, I won’t go, of course.  Good evening.”

She wanted to go out, but Dudley stood in the way, preventing her.

“You’re quite wrong, I assure you,” said he, quickly.  “There has been a little discussion about it, certainly; but I think you and my friend are quite right, and it would be much better if you would go with us—­much better.  Pray don’t be annoyed at anything I’ve said.  Remember, I have never seen you before, while my friend, who knows you better, naturally appreciates you more.”

Carrie maintained an attitude of cold stolidity while Dudley spoke.

“Am I to go with you now, then?” she asked, coldly, when he had finished speaking.

“Well, no, I think not.  It will only take me ten minutes to go down into the Strand and put off the fellow I was going to the theatre with.  I’ll come back here, and we’ll all go on together.”

Carrie looked at him steadfastly while he spoke, and he returned her gaze.  For a few moments there was silence, and then it was broken by an exclamation from Max.  He was staring first at one and then at the other with a face full of perplexity.

“Do you know,” cried he at last, “that when you both look like that, and I turn from one to the other, it is as if I were looking all the time at the same face?”