"You look awfully worried, dear. Eat something; I’m sure you need it."
"You girls always seem to think that if a man can only be got to eat, nothing else matters," I exclaimed fretfully.
"Well, try the prescription now at any rate," she replied with a bright smile. "And while you eat I have something to tell you."
"If it’s anything in the shape of another worry keep it till the morning; if it will keep, that is."
"I’m afraid it won’t, Paul," she said, with such a rueful air that I could not refrain from smiling.
"Well, I’ll take your medicine, if only to please you"; and I sat down to the dainty little meal she had had prepared. "What is it?"
"Eat something first," she insisted; and began to talk about a number of insignificant matters.
"Another what?" I cried, looking up quickly.
"Althea’s father, Paul. The Baron von Ringheim."
"I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t send him away, and I did so wish you would come home. He said he was in great trouble, and begged to be allowed to stay here for to-night at any rate. And he is in trouble, evidently."
"With Althea. They both asked me to send you up to them the moment you came in."
A pretty complication in truth. A leader of the Polish Irreconcilables in the house at such a time.
I went upstairs slowly, thinking how on earth to deal with so unwelcome a crisis. For Althea’s sake the thing must be faced and her father sheltered somehow. But how?
Althea’s voice called to me to enter when I knocked.
I opened the door, and then started back in dismay as I recognized in her companion the eldest of the three men whom I had seen an hour or two before in the murdered man’s house.
For a moment I was literally struck dumb with amazement.
Baron von Ringheim had been sitting by Althea, and rose at my entrance and bowed to me with old world courtesy.
"My father, Mr. Bastable," said Althea; and at this he advanced toward me with hand extended.
I was still under the thrall of astonishment caused by my recognition, and only the expression of mingled pain, alarm and surprise on Althea’s face enabled me to take his hand and mumble some formal reply.
He did not appear to notice anything strange in my conduct, however.
"I have to return you many thanks, sir, for the assistance which you have rendered to my daughter. She has told me how you have helped her, and I beg you to believe that I am sincerely grateful."
