see, the trespass rules here are very strictly enforced. It's too
bad you didn't know about them. They've been in force for ten years.
This is the first time, I think, that a woman has been inside the
wall."

"I--I'm a stranger," she gasped. "I'm only visiting here."

"Of course, that explains it. I couldn't imagine your having ventured
in otherwise."

We had come to an opening where the trail was wider and I slowed my
pace so that in a moment she walked beside me. She forged ahead at
once, but I kept my place.

"Since you're interested in sociological questions, Miss--er--Smith,
perhaps--"

"You listened?" she asked scornfully.

"I did," grimly. "I listened for at least ten minutes."

"I'm sure you're quite welcome," she gasped.

"Since you're interested in sociological questions," I repeated,
"perhaps you may be interested in educational ones."

"I'm not."

"That's not consistent, for sociological problems can hardly be solved
without the aid of--"

"Oh!" Her pent-up temper exploded. "I didn't come in here to--to
listen to a dissertation on--" Rage choked her and she couldn't go on.

"I should be very much interested to learn what you _did_ come in
for."

"You're a beast!" she flashed at me.

"Come now, you don't mean that. As a matter of fact, I'm merely a
mild-mannered person of studious instincts hired to carry out a most
valuable experiment in comparative psychology."

"I have no interest in your experiments."

"Or the object of them?" I put in quickly. She found that difficult to
answer.

"You must admit that my inquiry is natural," I went on suavely. "Since
Jerry has just promised to give you his entire fortune, it seems to me
only fair that his executors--"

"Will you be silent?" she cried, stopping suddenly. "It seems that I'm
at your mercy. You will at least have the decency to let me go in
peace."

She broke away, running aimlessly. I followed rapidly, my conscience
hurting, but my purpose relentless.

"This way," I said coolly. "You've left the trail."

"I don't care," she gasped. "Leave me."

"I can't do that. You see, I promised Jerry. But I will lead the way
if you like. The stream is not far."

I set out again and I heard her trudging behind me. If she had stuck
me in the back with a hatpin, I shouldn't have been surprised. But she
was more tractable now.

"How are you getting on?" I asked as I neared the Sweetwater. But she
wouldn't reply. Her sentiments toward me, I