Maxwell-Pitt stared at her blankly.
"What is it now?" she cried angrily. "Mais, you are too stupid—more stupid than the ordinary Englishman. Miss Richards has some fine pearls, and her diamonds are magnifiques, and I can give them to you. This is not to be another Wedderburn mistake."
"Ah, quite so—quite so," replied Maxwell-Pitt, who was absolutely nonplussed by the turn the conversation had taken. Then he drew his bow at a venture. "Wedderburn made a bit of a mistake, didn't he?" he said.
She looked at him sharply. "'He.' Who's 'he'? You know precisely that I speak of the burglary at Wedderburn 'Ouse last week, where you were not very clever."
"Oh, of course, of course. I understand," said Maxwell-Pitt.
"Of course you do understand. Why do you so pretend to me? I knew it was you when I saw you seeking round our 'ouse. I saw you were big and dark, with a long moustache, like the butler at Wedderburn 'Ouse said. How else did you think I could have known you were a burglar? You are to look at only like a gentleman?"
"Ah, I see—I see," said Maxwell-Pitt, the light at last breaking in upon him. "It seems that I have done friend Marvell an injustice."
"I do not know who your friend is, nor what you talk about," said Mademoiselle Adèle. "I must return at once. Is it to be a bargain or not? Fifty pounds is little compared to your share."
"Mademoiselle," said Maxwell-Pitt, "you are not only an accomplished thought-reader, but you appear to have the business instinct strongly developed as well. You can quite understand that when I planned this—er—botanical expedition I did not anticipate such a drain on my resources. In plain words, I haven't fifty pounds on me."
"You can get it, and come to-morrow night instead."