He held her fingers tightly for a moment, without speaking.

Then he led her to the sofa and seated himself beside her.
"Geraldine," he began gravely, "has what I say any weight with you at all ?" "A good deal," she assured him.
"You know that I do not like Captain Granet, yet you took him with you down to Portsmouth today and even allowed him to accompany you on board the _Scorpion_." Geraldine started a little.
"How do you know that already ?" she asked curiously.
He shook his head impatiently.
"It doesn't matter.

I heard.

Why did you do it, Geraldine ?" "In the first place, because he offered to motor us down after we had missed the train.

There are heaps of other reasons." "As, for instance ?" "Well, Olive and I preferred having an escort and Captain Granet was a most agreeable one.