The young man felt a strong desire to shield this girl so unexpectedly
thrown on his mercy. Yet vague fears hovered about the margin of his
judgment. Perhaps she was a thief or an adventuress. It might be that he
ought to let her get out of the odd situation she appeared to be in, as
best she might. Yet even as the thought flashed through his mind he seemed
to hear an echo of her words, "I saw you were a gentleman," and he felt
incapable of betraying her trust in him.

The girl was speaking again: "But I must not trouble you any more. You
have been very kind to get me out of that dreadful place. If you will
just stop the carriage and let me out, I am sure I can take care of
myself."

"I could not think of letting you get out here alone. If you are in
danger, I will help you." The warmth of his own words startled him. He
knew he ought to be more cautious with a stranger, but impetuously he
threw caution to the winds. "If you would just tell me a little bit about
it, so that I should know what I ought to do for you----"

"Oh, I must not tell you! I couldn't!" said the girl, her hand fluttering
up to her heart, as if to hold its wild beating from stifling her. "I am
sorry to have involved you for a moment in this. Please let me out here. I
am not frightened, now that I got away from that terrible tunnel. I was
afraid I might have to go in there alone, for I didn't see any way to get
up the bank, and I couldn't go back."

"I am glad I happened to be there," breathed the young man fervently. "It
would have been dangerous for you to enter that tunnel. It runs an entire
block. You would probably have been killed."