How d'you like the life, being a swell lady crook ?" She had hardly heard his banter.

She needed to ask him no questions about his presence here; his ease of bearing had conveyed to her unconsciously from the first instant that her previous half-contemptuous estimate of him had been altogether wrong and that he was now in his natural element.

Her first question went straight to the cause of her amazement.
"Didn't you recognize me when you first saw me with Miss Sherwood ?" "Yes." "Weren't you surprised ?" "Nope," he answered with deliberate monosyllabioness.
"Why not ?" "I'd been wised up that I'd be likely to meet you--and here." "Here! By whom ?" "By advice of counsel I must decline to answer." "Why didn't you tell Miss Sherwood who I am and show me up ?" "Because I'd been requested not to tell." "Requested by whom ?" "Maggie," he drawled, "you seem to be making a go of this lady crook business--but I think you might have been even more of a shining light as a criminal cross-examiner.

However, I refuse to be cross-examined further.

By the way," he drawled on, "how goes it with those dear souls, Barney and Old Jimmie ?" She ignored his question.
"Please! Who asked you not to tell ?" There was a sudden glint of good-humored malice in his eyes.