He probably never heard of a--still, do you call it ?--in his life--" and she smiled upon him sweetly.

"But if you will let him go I promise to satisfy you entirely in the matter." Chauvenet started to speak, but Shirley arrested him with a gesture, and spoke again to the mountaineer in her most engaging tone: "We are both mountaineers, you and I, and we don't want any of our people to be carried off to jail.

Isn't that so?
Now let this gentleman ride away, and I shall stay here until I have quite assured you that you are mistaken about him." She signaled Chauvenet to mount, holding the mystified and reluctant mountaineer with her eyes.

Her heart was thumping fast and her hand shook a little as she tightened her grasp on the rein.

She addressed Chauvenet in English as a mark of good faith to their captor.
"Ride on, Monsieur; do not wait for me." "But it is growing dark--I can not leave you alone, Mademoiselle.