He moved uneasily as she averted her face and sat back in her chair.
"I will see what I can do," he said shortly, and left the room.
When he returned to the office he found Brennan talking to Bessie, who had brought him some supper and a couple of blankets with which to make a bed on the floor. Brennan nodded towards them as Bessie disappeared.
"You know the idea of my being here at all, don't you?" he asked.
"To tell you the truth, I don't," Harding replied.
"The Sub-Inspector fancies someone may try to get back to learn what he can about our doings. You know who will most likely be asked, and so you see what it means when, as soon as I am here, and before I say a word about staying, these things are brought in. As if there is likely to be any sleep for me with the chance of the Sub-Inspector riding up any hour and catching me off duty. But it shows what's in the wind, doesn't it?"
"Mrs. Eustace has asked me to discuss something with her," Harding said quietly. "She knows you are here to-night."
"Oh, yes, Mr. Harding. She knows that, I've no doubt, but how did she or the girl know I was to be on duty here all the night? Don't you see? Supposing the Sub-Inspector is right, and a certain person we know wants to hear all that had happened since he went away, is he likely to come while I am here? It is not difficult to put a lighted lamp in a window, or to leave a blind pulled up or drawn down, is it? Anything of the kind is enough to give him a warning that the coast is clear or that there is danger ahead."
"Oh, but we can easily stop that," Harding exclaimed. "We can easily prevent any signal being used."
"If you know what the signal is," Brennan said. "But if you don't know, what are you to do?"