"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Jerry. Phil's father and mother were among the great army of incompatibles. His heritage of misery as the child of divorced parents, tossed back and forth between their habitations, ruined his life but--but he made royally good at the last, poor chap."
Jerry blinked furiously to rid her eyes of the tears which had flooded them at his tone. They rode on in silence. The road ran through the fragrant, chill quiet of dense pines, which creaked and swayed a mournful note in the slight breeze. When they emerged into the willow-fringed, sun dappled road again Courtlandt spoke.
"I want you to tell me everything that happened yesterday, Jerry. I--I know now that that elopement stuff was all a bluff but--but it was an infernally dangerous one. It was lucky for Greyson that an interest bigger than any individual was concerned in last night's work or--forgive me for my lack of faith and tell me what happened, won't you, girl?"
Jerry snatched at her stampeding composure and dragged it back. Her answer was tantalizingly slow.
"That 'won't you' was a master stroke of diplomacy. Machiavellian, I call it. Had you demanded an explanation I wouldn't have given it. Where shall I commence?" She saw him stiffen at her levity but he had his voice well in hand as he answered:
"Only on condition that there are no interruptions."
"Then be merciful and tell your story quickly."
Jerry began the recital of her adventures with her determination to amuse Peggy. She forgot herself, she was quite unconscious of the unevenness of Courtlandt's driving as the story unrolled of its own momentum. He did not interrupt with words but at times the car shot forward as though propelled by a furious impulse. They passed Jim Carey herding some lank-bodied, big-kneed calves before him. He waved and shouted a greeting. As they entered the cottonwoods by the Bear Creek corral Jerry described the culmination of the wild ride on the track, her stunned amazement when she had heard Steve's furious exclamation behind her. Her voice was traitorously unsteady as she added:
"'O ye of little faith!' Even when I saw you there, knew that you had heard my explanation, I--I thought that--that somehow you would understand."