Meyer."
He turned to her father with a gesture of despair.
"Cannot you persuade her, Clifford? She is your daughter, she will obey
you."
"Not in that," said Benita.
"No," answered Mr. Clifford. "I cannot, and I wouldn't if I could. My
daughter is quite right. Moreover, I hate this supernatural kind of
thing. If we can't find this gold without it, then we must let it alone,
that is all."
Meyer turned aside to hide his face, and presently looked up again, and
spoke quite softly.
"I suppose that I must accept my answer, but when you talked of any
living man just now, Miss Clifford, did you include your father?"
She shook her head.
"Then will you allow him to try to mesmerize you?"
Benita laughed.
"Oh, yes, if he likes," she said. "But I do not think that the operation
will be very successful."
"Good, we will see to-morrow. Now, like you, I am tired. I am going to
bed in my new camp by the wall," he added significantly.
*****
"Why are you so dead set against this business?" asked her father, when
he had gone.
"Oh, father!" she answered, "can't you see, don't you understand? Then
it is hard to have to tell you, but I must. In the beginning Mr. Meyer
only wanted the gold. Now he wants more, me as well as the gold. I hate
him! You know that is why I ran away.
Pages:
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226