“Besides what?”
“Besides, how can you expect me to solve in five seconds the problem that so many people have been nearly bursting themselves in their efforts to solve for years and years?”
She was immensely taken aback and cried fiercely: “What do you mean?”
“My meaning is quite simple. I want a little time for reflection.”
“Reflection? What for?”
“To get the solution,” he said coolly.
“What? You don’t know it?”
“The key-word to the enigma? Of course I don’t.”
“Then you lied!”
“Don’t let’s get theatrical, Josephine,” he said again in a tone of mockery.