He moved toward the door as he spoke. Shock knew at once he was lying.
"Mr. Stanton is not at the Royal. I have been informed he is in this building somewhere."
"In this building?" murmured Smiley, in a puzzled tone. "In this building?" He glanced up at the ceiling as if expecting to see the missing man there. "Strange," he continued. "Now, I have been here for some time, for hours, indeed. I am a busy man, Mr.—"
"Macgregor," replied Shock.
"Mr. Macgregor. I find it necessary to pursue my avocation into the hours we generally devote to slumber. And to-day business has been unusually interrupted. But I have failed to notice Mr. Stanton enter."
At the further end of the room Shock's eyes fell upon a door, through the cracks of which a light was shining.
"It is possible," said Shock, "he is in that room," pointing to the door.
"Hardly, my dear sir, hardly."
But even as he spoke a voice, loud and clear, rang out. "Now, my dear fellow, go to the deuce. That comes to me."
The reply Shock could not catch.