friend."

"What friend?"

"I thought you said you had an appointment with some one, and were going
to put him off."

"Oh, yes. Well, let us go to him now."

And Dudley softly opened the outer door.

Max perceived that what he proposed was to give Carrie the slip. He drew
back a step.

"We can't go without telling her, at least _I_ can't. The girl's
quite right. It would be safer for her to go with us. For it's an awful
place, not fit to trust oneself in."

"And you think it would be the safer for the presence with us of one of
the gang?"

"She is not one of the gang!" cried Max, involuntarily raising his
voice. "I'd stake my life on there being no harm in her!"

The door of the sitting-room was opened behind them, and Carrie came
out.

"I couldn't help hearing what you said," she said, quietly. "But you
needn't quarrel about me. One of you says there's no harm in me; the
other says there is. I dare say you're both right. If you don't want me