"But one didn't know you knew so much, monsieur le capitaine."
"And then," said Phinuit, "when we know you steered a direct course from London for the Château de Montalais, and made yourself persona grata there--Oh, persona very much grata, if I'm any judge!--you can hardly ask us to believe you didn't mean to do it, it all just happened so."
"Monsieur sees too clearly...."
"Why, if it comes to that--what were you up to that night, pussyfooting about the château at two in the morning?"
"But this is positively uncanny! Monsieur knows everything."
"Why shouldn't I know about that?" Vanity rang in Phinuit's self-conscious chuckle. "Who'd you think laid you out that night?"
"Monsieur is not telling me----!"
"I guess I owe you an apology," Phinuit admitted. "But you'll admit that in our situation there was nothing else for it. I'd have given anything if we'd been able to get by any other way; but you're such an unexpected customer.... Well! when I felt you catch hold of my shirt sleeve, that night, I thought we were done for and struck out blindly. It was a lucky blow, no credit to me. Hope I didn't jar you too much."
"No," said Lanyard, reflective--"no, I was quite all right in the morning. But I think I owe you one."
"Afraid you do; and it's going to be my duty and pleasure to cheat you out of your revenge if fast footwork will do it."