That's the place an amateur would most likely hide." The man growled some retort and left, closing the door heavily behind him, while Ronicky Doone breathed freely again for the first time.
"Now," said the man of the sneer, "tell me the whole of it, Ruth." Ronicky set his teeth.

Had the clever devil guessed at the truth so easily?
Had he sent his follower away, merely to avoid having it known that a man had taken shelter in the room of the girl he loved?
"Go on," the leader was repeating.

"Let me hear the whole truth." "I--I--" stammered the girl, and she could say no more.
The man of the sneer laughed unpleasantly.

"Let me help you.

It was somebody you met somewhere--on the train, perhaps, and you couldn't help smiling at him, eh?
You smiled so much, in fact, that he followed you and found that you had come here.