"Just answer a few questions as to what happened here yesterday afternoon. I won't keep you talking long."
"I—I—am not very strong," faltered Goddard faintly.
"You had a nasty fall," sympathized Baker, "and lost a lot of blood before Symonds found you."
"Found me! Where?"
"Right on this floor, sir," volunteered Symonds. "You gave me an awful turn, sir; for you looked more dead than..."—he stopped abruptly as he met Baker's warning glare ... "alive," he supplemented feebly.
At that moment the nurse came in from the sitting room and touched Baker on the shoulder. "You must go at once," she whispered. "You are staying too long. Major Goddard must not be excited."
"In a second, nurse." Baker waved her impatiently away, and turned again to Goddard. "Had you and Captain Lloyd been talking long before you fell?"
After a prolonged pause came the whisper: "I—I—cannot remember."
Nothing daunted, the Secret Service officer pursued his examination.
"Did Captain Lloyd tell you that an important despatch, proving Miss Nancy Newton a rebel spy, had been stolen from him by her?"