“Why, you agreed to that yourself!”
“I gave in to you. We can’t explore any more now.”
“There’s the wreck, though.”
“Oh, hang the wreck! It’s all a blind, or he wouldn’t have made so much of it. There are all these channels to be——”
“Oh, hang the channels! I know we wanted a free hand, but we’ve got to go to Norderney some time, and if Dollmann’s away——”
“Why did you harp on Miss Dollmann?” said Davies.
We had worked round, through idle recrimination, to the real point of departure. I knew Davies was not himself, and would not return to himself till the heart of the matter was reached.
“Look here,” I said, “you brought me out here to help you, because, as you say, I was clever, talked German, and—liked yachting (I couldn’t resist adding this). But directly you really want me you turn round and go for me.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean all that, really,” said Davies; “I’m sorry—I was worried.”
“I know; but it’s your own fault. You haven’t been fair with me. There’s a complication in this business that you’ve never talked about. I’ve never pressed you because I thought you would confide in me. You——”