Once more, will you tell me the truth ?" "I've told you all I know." "Do you mean to tell me that you did not see your master's daughter, or let her into the house ?" "I did not." "Could anybody have got into the house without your knowledge ?" "Maybe." "Did you hear anybody ?" "How could I hear anybody when I was down in the coal cellar ?" The open sneer on Thalassa's face suggested that he was not to be caught by verbal traps.

Barrant perceived, with a smouldering anger, that the man was too clever to be tricked, and too stout of heart to be frightened.

By accident or design he had a ready story which was difficult to demolish without further knowledge of the events of that night.

Barrant decided that it would be useless, at that moment, to apply himself to the effort of worming anything out of Thalassa.

He had shown his own hand too freely, and placed him on his guard.