Especially," and he halted, "about myself." "But is that any of my affair ?" Her old pertness was gone.

She seemed white and frightened, as though about to listen to something she would rather not hear.

Houston answered her as best he could: "That depends upon yourself, Miss Robinette.

Naturally, you wouldn't want to have any business dealings with a man who really was all that you must believe me to be.

It isn't a pleasant thing for me to talk about--I would like to forget it.