He was silent, looking at her thoughtfully, as if carefully weighing his course of action.
"You were under the suspicion of Scotland Yard," she reminded him, "until I told my lie. You will be under it again if I admit my lie. Inspector Fay would certainly not rest until he had thoroughly investigated your reasons for giving a false account of yourself. He is by no means a fool—and I very much doubt that he is to be bought, anyway so reasonably as I am."
Copplestone's face wore a strange expression. There was now no animosity in it, but rather a mild resignation, in strange contrast to his previous anger.
"So," he said, after a pause, "you would put them on to me again...?"
"I need not have taken them off you," she replied.
"I have offered you five thousand pounds for that," he said slowly.
"I have refused them."
"Think over it well," he advised her impressively.
"I do not need to," she returned.
For a moment they faced each other steadily.