Part 22 (1/2)
She pouted prettily. ”Can't you let that be? No, of course not.”
”Nor to bicker about it?”
She laughed a denial.
”Nor yet to conduct a guessing contest?”
”No.”
”Then I've exhausted my allowance.... Well?”
”I came,” she drawled, ”for my hat.”
”Your hat?” His eyes opened wide.
She nodded. ”My pretty hat. You remember you promised to give it to me if n.o.body else claimed it.”
”Yes, but ...”
”And n.o.body has claimed it?”
”No, but ...”
”Then I want my hat.”
”But--hold on--give somebody a chance--”
”Stupid?” she laughed. ”Isn't it enough that I claim it? Am I n.o.body?”
”Wait half a minute. You've got me going.” He paused, frowning thoughtfully, recollecting his wits; then by degrees the light began to dawn upon him. ”Do you mean you really did send me that confounded bandbox?”
Coolly she inclined her head: ”I did just that, my dear.”
”But when I asked you the same question on the Autocratic--”
”Quite so: I denied it.”
”And you were in London that Friday, after all?”
”I was. Had to be, hadn't I, in order to buy the hat and have it sent you?”
”But--how did you know I was sailing Sat.u.r.day?”
”I happened to go to the steams.h.i.+p office just after you had booked--saw a clerk adding your name to the pa.s.senger-list on the bulletin-board.
That gave me the inspiration. I had already bought the hat, but I drove back to the shop and instructed them to send it to you.”
”But, Alison! to what end?”
”Well,” she said languidly, smiling with amus.e.m.e.nt at his bewilderment, ”I thought it might be fun to hoodwink you.”