"The young lady can come up in half an hour."
Again they were left alone. Then Trent crossed the room and stood
between them and the door.
"Before you see your father, Miss Wendermott," he said, "I have an
explanation to make to you!"
CHAPTER XLI
He looked at him calmly, but in her set, white face he seemed to
read already his sentence!
"Do you think it worth while, Mr. Trent? There is so much, as you
put it, to be explained, that the task, even to a man of your
versatility, seems hopeless!"
"I shall not trouble you long," he said. "At least one man's word
should be as good as another's - and you have listened to what my
enemy " - he motioned towards Francis - " has to say."
Francis shrugged his shoulders.
"I can assure you," he interrupted, "that I have no feeling of
enmity towards you in the slightest. My opinion you know. I have
never troubled to conceal it. But I deny that I am prejudiced
by any personal feeling."
Trent ignored his speech.
"What I have to say to you," he continued addressing Ernestine, "I
want to say before you see your father. I won't take up your time.
I won't waste words. I take you back ten years to when I met him
at Attra and we became partners in a certain enterprise. Your
father at that time was a harmless wreck of a man who was fast
killing himself with brandy.
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