Read Online The Black Cabinet by Patricia Wentworth - Free Book Online

difficult to catch. The third rhyme rose up in her mind:
    â€œThe dogs all bark
    At Mr. Dark.
    I would not like to have to touch
    The basket he has got,
    I’d say loud out, ‘I’d rather not,
    Because I do not like you very much,
    And if I was a dog, I’d bark,
    Mr. Dark.’”
    Chloe came back to the drawing-room at Danesborough with a start. Why, that was really just what she felt about Mitchell Dane. It came straight out of the silly rhyme—“I’d rather not, ’cause I do not like you very much.”
    Mitchell Dane’s voice sounded suddenly in her ears:
    â€œI’ll give you more than a penny for your thoughts, Chloe. What are they?”
    Chloe looked over her shoulder; she had a listening, remembering look.
    â€œI gave them names,” she said very low. “I gav e them names. But I never told anyone; it was a tremendous secret.”
    Mitchell Dane smiled.
    â€œA secret—and you kept it?”
    â€œOh, yes, I kept it always. I never told anyone. I—I had forgotten; but it’s all come back.”
    â€œSecrets are safest when they are forgotten. Unfortunately they have a way of coming back,” said Mitchell Dane, his voice very cool and matter of fact. Then, after a little pause, “Do you suppose you could keep a secret?”
    She turned towards him with a confident nod. The abstracted fit was passing.
    â€œOf course I can.”
    â€œYou’re very sure. Why that ‘of course’?”
    Just for a moment Chloe looked rather like an impudent boy.
    â€œWhy, because I’m a woman, and women are very good at keeping secrets—didn’t you know that?”
    â€œThat’s not the general opinion, but—”
    The atmosphere changed suddenly. Chloe was aware of being searched through and through, dissected. She felt extraordinarily small and extraordinarily helpless, like a fly on a pin. The impudence went out of her, and she heard herself say with a gasp, “Don’t! Don’t!” The sensation passed as suddenly as it had come.
    â€œSo you can keep a secret?”
    This time Chloe did not laugh. She met his eyes steadily, and said,
    â€œYes, I can.”
    Mitchell Dane turned round towards the fire, and began to warm first one foot and then the other, “When I retired from business two years ago,”—his quiet, level voice seemed to continue rather than begin a statement—“when I retired from business two years ago, I had a good deal of my stock-in-trade left on my hands. It was, and is very valuable. It needs extremely expert handling. I should never advise you to attempt to handle it. I do not suppose for a moment that you would desire to do so; but, in any case, it ‘a matter for the expert, and I couldn’t advise you to touch it. On the other hand—”
    â€œMr. Dane, stop!” said Chloe. She had stood still until this moment, but now she made a quick pep forward. “Mr. Dane, don’t! Don’t tell me anything!”
    â€œAnd why not?”
    Chloe was rather pale.
    â€œBecause, Mr. Dane, at Maxton you asked me—I mean, you told me—”
    â€œI told you that I wished to adopt you. Is that what you mean?”
    â€œYes,” said Chloe, her eyes wide and imploring.
    â€œAnd to make you my heiress.”
    She nodded, biting her lip.
    â€œWell,” said Mitchell Dane, “what about it? Why did you stop me?”
    â€œBecause—because I can’t,” said Chloe from her heart.
    â€œYou don’t want to be adopted?” Mr. Dane’s voice was as expressionless as his face.
    â€œNo, I can’t!”
    â€œOr to be my heiress?” A spice of malice crept in.
    â€œNo, I can’t—really.” She put out her hand with a troubled gesture, her eyes searched his face. “It sounds dreadfully ungrateful, but I can’t.”
    â€œWhy?” His voice was rather amused. “I’m not the