"
And there we sat, calmly munching the apples, for all the world as if
the iron hand of the law wasn't within a thousand miles of us. It was
all very amusing.
[Illustration: And there we sat, calmly munching the apples.]
"Are--_are_ you the man they are hunting for?" she asked abruptly.
"I never stole anything more terrible than green apples--and ripe
ones"--with a nod toward the apple-bin.
"Pardon me! I feel very guilty in asking you such a question. You
haven't told me your name."
"Haven't I? My name is Richard Comstalk. My friends call me Dickey."
"Dickey," she murmured. "It's a nice name."
"Won't you have another apple?" I asked impulsively.
"My appetite is appeased, thank you."
An idea came to me. "Hamilton said there were three tens of hearts.
That meant that only one was out of order. Where did you get your
card?"
"That I shall tell you--later."
"But are you really an impostor?"
"I should not be in this cellar else."
"You are very mystifying."
"For the present I prefer to remain so."
We tossed aside the apple-cores, rose, and went on. It was the longest
cellar _I_ ever saw. There seemed absolutely no end to it. The
wine-cellar was walled apart from the main cellar, and had the
semblance of a huge cistern with a door opening into it.
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