She answered none of these. They were based on the assumption that she had put forward herself. She could find nothing to excuse her. Verrinder was simply playing tag with her. As soon as he touched her he ran away and came at her from another direction.
“Of course, we know that you were only the adopted daughter of Sir Joseph. But where did you first meet him?”
“In Berlin.”
The sound of that word startled her. That German name stood for all the evils of the time. It was the inaccessible throne of hell.
Verrinder was startled by it, too.
“In Berlin!” he exclaimed, and nodded his head. “Now we are getting somewhere. Would you mind telling me the circumstances?”
She blushed a furious scarlet.
“I––I’d rather not.”
“I must insist.”
“Please send me to the Tower and have me imprisoned for life. I’d rather be there than here. Or better yet––have me shot. It would make me happier than anything you could do.”