"
"Did she tell you that she was leaving The Sanctuary?"
"She gave me not the slightest intimation of it," Francis assured
his questioner, "in fact she invited me to meet her in the rose
garden last night. When I arrived there, she was gone. I have
heard nothing from her since."
"You spent the evening with her?"
"To my great content."
"What happened between you?"
"Nothing happened. I took the opportunity, however, of letting
your daughter understand the nature of my feelings for her."
"Dear me! May I ask what they are?"
"I will translate them into facts," Francis replied. "I wish
your daughter to become my wife."
"You amaze me!" Sir Timothy exclaimed, with the old mocking smile
at his lips. "How can you possibly contemplate association with
the daughter of a man whom you suspect and distrust as you do
me?"
"If I suspect and distrust you, it is your own fault," Francis
reminded him. "You have declared yourself to be a criminal and a
friend of criminals. I am inclined to believe that you have
spoken the truth. I care for that fact just as little as I care
for the fact that you are a millionaire, or that Margaret has
been married to a murderer. I intend her to become my wife."
"Did you encourage her to leave me?"
"I did not. I had not the slightest idea that she had left The
Sanctuary until Lady Cynthia told me, halfway to London this
morning.
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