She sat leaning against him, his arms about her, but at these words she stared past him into the darkness of the room thinking quickly. Next week!
"I am getting the engineer to make me a silencer, the boat makes so much noise," he explained.
"I understand," she murmured absently, slipping out of his arms. She must send into the town, she thought. Amos must go.
"To-morrow," he went on, "I go to the Club in the Austrian Consulate. Mr. Marsh asked me to go. I may be a little late. You won't mind?"
She turned upon him in the darkness where she was feeling for the lamp, and gave him a blank stare. He never saw it; and if he had he would never have been able to understand that at that moment she could have killed him for his stupidity. He sat in silence wondering a little, and then the emotion had passed and she gave her delicious throaty chuckle.
"Ah, no, mein Lieber. I do not mind."
"Why do you sometimes call me your Lieber?" he asked playfully. "Is it a pet name?"
The lamp was alight and he saw her eyes smouldering as she raised them from the flame she was adjusting.
"Yes, Lieber means love," she said gravely.
"You are not sorry we did not go to Athens?" he asked, smiling.