“Who are you?” she asked. “And why are you here?”
“I must apologise,” he replied.
“You realise that you are trespassing?”
“Yes, and I will leave at once.”
Petrina looked at him uncertainly and then she said,
“If you are a thief or a burglar, I should not allow you to do so.”
“I promise you, Miss Lyndon, that I have no intention of stealing anything.”
“You know who I am?” Petrina asked.
“Yes.”
“But how and why are you here?”
“I would rather not answer that question, but I promise I will not do any material harm and I will leave at once if you wish.”
“What do you mean by ‘material harm’?” Petrina asked.
The stranger smiled and she realised he was young and under twenty-five and, although she could not see him clearly, she knew that he was dressed neatly but not with the elegance
