He rolled his eyeballs over the racks laden with her hand-luggage.
"Your jewel-case," said he promptly. "Which is it?"
"That one, in this corner, over my feet."
Her equal alacrity might have been the mere measure of her eagerness to get rid of him; but Alfred Croucher was far too old in deception to be himself very easily deceived.
"Then you can keep it, with my love!" said he. "I'll trouble you for them rings instead—and the rest wot you're 'idin' be'ind 'em!"
The girl turned paler in the electric light She was sitting up in her suspicious readiness to point out the jewel-case; the other hand, with most of her rings on it, had flown instinctively to her throat; for she was traveling, as ladies will, with her greatest treasures—her diamond necklace and pendant, and a string of pearls—on her neck for safety.
"Suppose I refuse and——"
She glanced toward the bell.
"Then I'll say what I know."
"And what do you know?" Her back was to the wall.