"You have it then?" he asked fiercely.
She sighed.
"You jump so to conclusions. I didn't say so."
"You went up the stairs … you were the only person who went up just at that one psychological moment! He had his pocketbook with him when he came in—he told Holderness so."
"And when you searched him it was gone," she remarked calmly. "Dear me!"
"How do you know that I searched him?" Fischer demanded.
"How dare you ask me to give away my secrets?" she replied.
"Listen," he began, striving with an almost painful effort to keep his voice down to the level of a whisper, "you and I together, we could do the most marvellous things. I could let you into all my schemes. They are great. They will be successful. After the war is over—"
He held his breath for a moment. The tramp of approaching footsteps warned him of the coming of an intruder. The Captain came to a standstill before their chairs and saluted.
"Miss Van Teyl," he said, "there will be a mutiny in the saloon if you don't come down and sing."