The Countess looked at him sharply. She seemed to become aware of the big, quiet man for the first time.
"I went to your room," said Bundle. "The bed hadn't been slept in and you weren't there."
She paused—looking accusingly at the Countess. The latter closed her eyes and nodded her head slowly.
"Yes, yes, I remember it all now. Oh, it was horrible!" She shuddered. "Do you want me to tell you?"
Superintendent Battle said, "If you please" at the same moment that Bill said, "Not if you don't feel up to it."
The Countess looked from one to the other, but the quiet, masterful eye of Superintendent Battle won the game.
"I could not sleep," began the Countess. "The house—it oppressed me. I was all, as you say, on wires, the cat on the hot bricks. I knew that in the state I was in it was useless to think of going to bed. I walked about my room. I read. But the books placed there did not interest me greatly. I thought I would come down here and find something more absorbing."
"Very natural," said Bill.
"Very often done, I believe," said Battle.
"So as soon as the idea occurred to me, I left my room and came down. The house was very still—"