"I reckon we're the first to arrive at this little meeting."
A full pleasant voice with a slight American drawl, and an inflection of Irish behind it.
The elegant young man said in good, but slightly stilted, English:
"I had much difficulty in getting away to-night. These things do not always arrange themselves fortunately. I am not, like No. 4 here, my own master."
Bundle tried to guess at his nationality. Until he spoke, she had thought he might be French, but the accent was not a French one. He might possibly, she thought, be an Austrian, or a Hungarian, or even a Russian.
The American moved to the other side of the table, and Bundle heard a chair being pulled out.
"One o'clock's being a great success," he said. "I congratulate you on taking the risk."
Five o'clock shrugged his shoulders.
"Unless one takes risks—" He left the sentence unfinished.
Again seven taps sounded, and Mosgorovsky moved across to the secret door.