And it was a relief to me when he
came with few preliminaries to the inevitable point.
"Did you ever hear from her, Bunny?" he asked.
"In a way," I answered. "We won't talk about it, if you don't mind,
Raffles."
"That sort of way!" he exclaimed. He seemed both surprised and
disappointed.
"Yes," I said, "that sort of way. It's finished. What did you
expect?"
"I don't know," said Raffles. "I only thought that the girl who
went so far to get a fellow out of a tight place might go a little
farther to keep him from getting into another."
"I don't see why she should," said I, honestly enough, yet with
the irritation of a less just feeling deep down in my inmost
consciousness.
"Yet you did hear from her?" he persisted.
"She sent me back my poor presents, without a word," I said, "if
you call that hearing."
I could not bring myself to own to Raffles that I had given her
only books. He asked if I was sure that she had sent them back
herself; and that was his last question. My answer was enough for
him. And to this day I cannot say whether it was more in relief
than in regret that he laid a hand upon my shoulder.
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