“But Statham had given you orders to go.”
“I do not always obey his orders when it is to his own interest that I should disregard them,” he replied enigmatically.
“Then you had a reason for not going to Servia?”
“I had—a very strong one.”
“Connected with Maud Petrovitch?”
“In no way whatever. It was a purely personal motive.”
“And you thought fit to disregard Statham’s injunctions in order to attend to your own private business!”
“It was his business, as well as mine,” declared Charlie, who, after a pause, asked: “Now tell me, Max, why are you cross-examining me like a criminal lawyer? What do you suspect me of?”
“Well—shall I be frank?”
“Certainly. We are old enough friends for that.”