to have recovered her composure, and yet Merriman could not but
realize a constraint in her manner, and a look of anxiety in her
clear brown eyes. That something was disturbing her there could be
no doubt, and that something appeared to be not unconnected with
himself. But, he reasoned, there was nothing connected with himself
that could cause her anxiety, unless it really was that matter of
the number plates. He became conscious of an almost overwhelming
desire to share her trouble whatever it might be, to let her
understand that so far from willingly causing a shadow to fall
across her path there were few things he would not do to give her
pleasure; indeed, he began to long to take her in his arms, to
comfort her. . . .

Presently a step in the hall announced Mr. Coburn's return. "In
here, daddy," his daughter called, and the steps approached the door.

Whether by accident or design it happened that Miss Coburn was seated
directly opposite the door, while her two visitors were placed where
they were screened by the door itself from the view of anyone
entering. Hilliard, his eyes on the girl's face as her father came
in, intercepted a glance of what seemed to be warning. His gaze
swung round to the new-comer, and here again he noticed a start of
surprise and anxiety as Mr. Coburn recognized his visitor. But in
this case it was so quickly over that had he not been watching
intently he would have missed it. However, slight though it was,
it undoubtedly seemed to confirm the other indications which pointed
to the existence of some secret in the life of these two, a secret
shared apparently by the good-looking driver and connected in some
way with the lorry number plates.