"Your father knows nothing of my friendship with Miller?" he asked
suddenly, with some apprehension.
"I have told him nothing, as you forbade me."
"Good. He must not know. It's better not."
"Why?"
"Well, because your father has a long-standing quarrel with Miller, has
he not? If he knew we were friends he might not like it. Some men have
curious prejudices," he added.
His explanation apparently satisfied her, but he, on his part, returned
to his previous questions regarding myself.
"Tell me," he urged, "who is this fellow Leaf? If you were fond of him
I surely have a right to know who and what he is?"
"He's a gentleman whom I first knew years ago, soon after I came home
from school."
"And you fell in love with him, like every school-girl does, eh?"
She nodded in the affirmative, but vouchsafed no further information.
"Well," he said, in a tone of authority, "you will not meet him again
under any consideration. I forbid it. Remember that."
She was silent, her head downcast, for in that man's hands she was as
wax. He held her in some thraldom that I saw was as complete as it was
terrible. His very presence seemed to cause her to hold her breath, and
to tremble.
"Last night," he continued, "you crept downstairs after you had gone to
your room, and you listened at the door of the smoking-room, where I was
talking with Miller," and he laughed as he saw how she started at his
accusation. "Yes, you see I know all about it. The faithful Minton,
who saw you, told me," he went on in a hard voice. "You overheard
something--something that has very much surprised you. Now there's an
old adage that says listeners never hear any good of themselves.
Therefore we must come to a thorough understanding as soon as we can get
a quiet half-hour alone together."
"I think it is perfectly unnecessary," she said, with some attempt at
defiance.
"There, I beg to differ," he answered. "You have learnt a secret, and I
must have some adequate guarantee that that secret is kept--that no
single word of it is breathed to a living soul. You understand, Ella,"
he added, in a low, fierce half-whisper, lowering his dark clean-shaven
face to hers. "You understand! _My life depends upon it_!"