At last, all too soon, she rose and wished me good-night. A demon of perversity seized me.
"I shall escort you down to Mr Tiel, and the devil take his precautions!" I exclaimed.
"Oh no," she protested. "After all he is in command."
She really seemed quite concerned at my intention, but I can be very obstinate when I choose.
"Tuts!" I said. "It is sheer rubbish to pretend that there is any risk at this time of night. Probably he is still out, and anyhow he will not have visitors at this hour."
She looked at me very hard and quickly as if to see if I were possible to argue with, and then she gave a little laugh and merely said—
"You are terribly wilful, Mr Belke!"
And she ran downstairs very quickly, as though to run away from me. I followed fast, but she was some paces ahead of me as we went down the dark passage to the front of the house. And then suddenly I heard guarded voices, and stopped dead.
There was a bend in the passage just before it reached the hall, and Eileen had passed this while I had not, and so I could see nothing ahead. Then I heard the voice of Tiel say—
"Well?"