"How absurd you are! But he knew everything that could be known about Blue Points—"
She ran on vivaciously. Alston seconded her, when she gave him an opportunity. Claude listened, sometimes smiled, spoke when there seemed to be any necessity for a word from him. Alston was hungry after his exertions, and ate heartily. Charmian pretended to eat and sipped her champagne. On each of her cheeks an almost livid spot of red glowed. Her eyes, which looked more sunken than usual in her head, were full of intense life, as they glanced perpetually from one man to the other with a ceaseless watchfulness. She pressed Claude to eat, even helped him herself from the dishes. The clock had just struck a quarter-past one when a buzzing sound outside indicated the presence of someone at the door of the lobby.
Charmian moved uneasily.
"Who can it be so late? Perhaps it's Mr. Crayford."
She got up.
"I'll go and see what it is," said Claude.
He went out. Charmian stood, watching the door.
"D'you think it's Mr. Crayford?" she asked of Alston Lake.
"Hardly!"
"What is it, Claude?"