"Well, anyhow, he gave us the cheque, and then, you know, we had to prevent its getting out—his getting out, I mean."
"I don't understand a word you say," said Booby.
"No," said Jimmy too thoughtfully, glaring at the fire. "We were 'fraid that."
"If there's a row, Booby," said Melba affectionately, "if there 's real row, y' ought to be warned. That 's what we think."
"That 's it," said Jimmy.
Then under the impression that their ordeal was over and their duty done, the two conspirators lapsed into silence. It was a silence which might have lasted some minutes.
It was broken by the ringing of an electric bell in the corridor outside, a sound muffled by the door, and the German reservist whom his unscrupulous Government secretly paid to wait at table at Bolter's, came in to tell Mr. McAuley that he was wanted at the telephone.
The god Bacchus, when he came out of Asia with those panthers of his, came into Europe the master of many moods, and Jimmy was a young man careless and content as he lifted the receiver. He heard a clear and rather high voice ask him whether he was Mr.
