"
"Ah!" She caught her breath, and for a moment seemed unable to respond.
"Tell me," she said at length, almost breathlessly.
"I have had a long and, as you may imagine, not very pleasant interview
with the fellow," he answered quietly; "and am happy to say I won all
along the line."
"You won? You mean--?"
He had taken the declaration from his pocket-book and for answer handed
it to her. With a manifest effort to control her feelings she read it
eagerly. Then her voice trembled as she spoke.
"Mr. Gifford, what can I say? I wish I knew how to thank you."
"Please don't try," he replied lightly. "If you only knew the pleasure it
has given me to get the better of this fellow you would hardly consider
thanks necessary. Would you care to hear a short account of what
happened?" he added tactfully, with the intention, seeing how painful the
revulsion was, of giving her time to recover from her agitation.
"Please; do tell me." She spoke mechanically, still hardly able to trust
her voice above a whisper.
They sat down and he related the salient points of his interview with
Henshaw. "It was lucky that I happened to have something of a hold over
him," he concluded with a laugh; "Mr.
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