She nodded.

“Yes; I thought of that. You—you won’t hurt her?”

There was a blank look in her eyes now. Her mind seemed to have wandered off into space.

“The gun,” I said, and snapped my fingers at her.

“Oh, yes.” She shivered, frowned, looked vaguely around the room. “I had it somewhere.”

The nerve was jumping like a frog under her skin. “I think it must be in my bag.”

The bag was lying in one of the armchairs. She moved towards it, but I beat her to it.

“It’s all right,” I said. “I’ll get it. You sit down and take it easy.”

I picked up the bag and slid back the clip.

“Don’t open it, Malloy!”