“No, no; I heard plainly,” Suzanne protested eagerly.

“But one can never trust these rascally men-servants.”

“I am quite ready,” said I.

“Our business,” said he, “will wait.”

“It will be the better for waiting.”

He hesitated a moment; then he assented gravely:

“You’re right—much better.”

He took a pistol out of the drawer, and shut and locked the drawer. Then he turned to Suzanne and said:

“You had better go back to bed.”

“I daren’t, I daren’t!”