"My coat and hat!" he said, not looking at Merriam.
"In the sitting room," said Margery.
He turned himself in that direction and in a jerky walk, with some support from Margery, moved towards and through the portières. He had disdained to cast so much as a glance at either Merriam or Jennie.
Jennie resented this. "Old crosspatch!" she cried.
Merriam stepped hastily to the portières and peeped through. Crockett had caught up his light overcoat and silk hat from a chair. He refused Margery's offer to help him on with his coat and made, already moving more naturally, for the hall door. Margery followed him. The door opened--closed again. Margery returned from the hallway.
Merriam advanced through the portières into the sitting room.
"Well!" he exclaimed.
"Well!" returned Margery, with a dry laugh--the first laugh Merriam had heard from her during the whole evening.
"See what he does in the street," she added. "Raise the shade about a foot. I'll turn off the light."
Merriam acted promptly on this excellent hint. In a moment the room was in darkness, and he was kneeling by the window watching the street below, which was fairly well illuminated from arc lights at either corner. Part way down the block on the other side of the roadway a car, presumably a taxi, stood by the curb, with a man walking up and down beside it. Jennie's flat was too high up for Merriam to be able to see the sidewalk immediately below. If, therefore, Crockett on emerging from the building merely walked away, he would see nothing. But this was hardly likely.