Arthur turned and faced him. His face began to flush slowly. Van Deventer put up one hand.
"I beg your pardon. I see."
"We aren't settling the things we came here for," Estelle interrupted.
She had noted the threat of friction and hastened to put in a diversion. Arthur relaxed.
"I think that as a beginning," he suggested, "we'd better get sleeping arrangements completed. We can get everybody together somewhere, I dare say, and then secure volunteers for the work."
"Right." Van Deventer was anxious to make amends for his blunder of a moment before. "Shall I send the bank watchmen to go on each floor in turn and ask everybody to come down-stairs?"
"You might start them," Arthur said. "It will take a long time for every one to assemble."
Van Deventer spoke into the telephone on his desk. In a moment he hung up the receiver.
"They're on their way," he said.
Arthur was frowning to himself and scribbling in a note-book.