He seized her and drew her to him.

She struggled to free herself, but his fingers tightened about hers.
"Let me go!" she panted.

He laughed his cool laugh of triumph.
"Let you go--ask me anything but that, Betty! Have you no reward for patience such as mine?
A whole summer has passed since I saw you first--" There was the noisy shuffling of feet on the stairs, and releasing Betty, Murrell swung about on his heel and faced the door.

It was pushed open an inch at a time by a not too confident hand and Mr.Slosson thus guardedly presented himself to the eye of his chief, whom he beckoned from the room.
"Well ?" said Murrell, when they stood together on the landing.
"Just come across to the keel boat!" and Slosson led the way down the stairs and from the house.
"Damn you, Joe; you might have waited!" observed the outlaw.

Slosson gave him a hardened grin.