She sprang to her feet and cried out with astonishment and I hoped delight, while von Felsen turned as pale as death.
"Good evening, Fräulein Althea," I said quietly, holding out my hand. "I am afraid I have given you and Bessie a great fright. I am very sorry."
She could not speak for the moment and her hand shook as she laid it in mine. Then after a pause: "Oh, Mr. Bastable, I--I am so relieved."
Affecting not to notice her agitation I turned to von Felsen. "Good-evening; I suppose you know the fuss I have stupidly caused."
I did not wish him to think that I knew of his hand in the affair, and spoke much more courteously than I had ever addressed him before.
"Yes, I did hear of it," he replied uneasily. "The fact is I was just offering my services in the matter."
"Well, I'm afraid it's more than I should have done had you been the cause of the trouble. But then we don't hit it off very well, do we? But you could not have done anything. It was just a police blunder at the last. I had a little trip into the country, and they took me for a tramp, or something of the sort. Of course it was all put right easily enough."
"A trip into the country!" cried Althea.
"Well, not exactly a voluntary outing. The fact is I was robbed in the street here in Berlin, and the scoundrels took me off in a motor-car. I found myself early this morning miles and miles away--I suppose there must have been a smash up or something; I had been unconscious evidently--and when I reached a station the man sent for the police, who shoved me into a cell and kept me there all day." I laughed as if the thing were the merest joke.
"You are not hurt?" asked Althea.