It was plain that _she_ wasn't going to give
us any opening, if she could help it."Do you always talk to him in French?" I went on cautiously."Yes, always. He likes it best," she answered, without looking up again."But we heard you say something to him in English this afternoon," I
ventured, for I had a scheme as to just how I was going to trap her. For
a wonder, she fell into it."I didn't! I don't remember saying a word in English."This was just what I had thought. She was so excited at the time that
she _hadn't_ remembered."Oh, but you _did_!" broke in Carol. "We heard you say: 'Then I'm
right? It is the same? I was sure it was.'""You horrid things!" burst out the Imp. "Always tracking me around and
eavesdropping! You once accused _me_ of that, but I think the tables are
turned now.""Look here," I said, and I felt downright mad, "you know perfectly well
we weren't doing anything of the kind. We happened to come out of
Anita's house right behind you, and we refrained from joining you at
first because we knew you didn't want us. We couldn't help it if you
talked so loud that we could hear what you said."She calmed down at that, and I seized the advantage and determined on a
bold stroke."Bobs dear," I said, in as friendly a way as I could, "we know you've
discovered something about Monsieur or Louis or some one from what you
said and did this afternoon. Won't you tell us about it, too? You know
we're awfully interested. And just to show you that we only mean to be
friendly, I'll give you that new fountain-pen of mine, if you care to
have it. I don't mean it as a bribe, but only to make you feel that we
aren't really hateful."At this her eyes fairly sparkled for a moment. Then she shook her head."I can't do it, girls, much as I'm crazy to have that pen. Honest, I
can't. I'm not teasing you about it this time, either. I really _have_
discovered something quite important, and it just happened by accident,
too. But Monsieur was so upset about it, and asked me so politely not to
say anything to any one, that I just feel it wouldn't be right. I think
I took him terribly by surprise. I don't know what it all means yet
myself. There's something awfully mysterious about things over at
Louis's. And really, you've been so decent to me lately that I'd tell
you if I could, even without the pen."Well, that was too much for me. I knew she meant every word she said,
and I could understand, too, why she felt she couldn't tell us. So I
just gave her the pen, anyway, and she was so happy and grateful. She
said:"It's all right, girls. You're trumps! And I'll do something for you
yet, never you fear."But only to think that it was the Imp who made the first real, important
discovery about this mystery! Well, things do happen queerly. I wonder
what in the world she can have 

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