"I'm supposed to be," he replied. "But we all change our minds sometimes. What about yourself? No doubt you intended to spend the evening working in your room. Yet here you are."
"It's so stifling tonight," I said, "that I came into the garden for a breath of air."
"In that case I don't suppose you'll mind having my company for your walk."
This time I detected so much impertinent irony in his tone, that I saw it was a case of putting all my cards on the table.
"I'm very much flattered by your attentions, Herr Lieutenant, but I won't pretend that I wouldn't rather be alone."
He giggled. "Quite alone?" he demanded.
A quarter to eleven had just struck. The sound made me furious. Was this imbecile to wreck all our plans?
"What do you mean?" I asked angrily.
I realized his idea was to make me lose my self-control.
"Herr Professor," he said, "in Germany we hold one thing very sacred. Our word of honour. I like to think that it's the same in France. I won't trouble you any further if, here and now, you will give me your word of honour that you have no appointment this evening with the Grand Duchess Aurora."