“The military police are still hunting for his companion. They are now searching the garage here to see if they can find a small, grey, coupe car.”
This time she remained speechless, but all those ill-defined fears which had gathered in his heart seemed suddenly to come to a head. Her appearance had changed curiously during the last hour. There was a hunted, almost a desperate gleam in her eyes, a drawn look about her mouth as she sat looking at him.
“The Colonel of the regiment stationed here has just arrived. He is down in the garage now with my father.”
“I remembered your mouth,” he told her. “I saw your car last night, and I traced it up the avenue this morning.”
“A mouth isn’t much to go by,” she observed, with a very wan smile.
“It happens to be your mouth,” he replied.
She rose to her feet and stood for a moment as though listening. Then she thrust her hand down into the bosom of her gown and produced a small roll of paper wrapped in a sheet of oilskin. He took it from her at once and slipped it into the breast pocket of his coat.
“You understand what you are doing?” she persisted.
She crossed the room towards the hearthrug and stood there for a moment, leaning against the mantelpiece.
“Is there anything else I can do?” he asked.
She turned around. There was a wonderful change in her face.
“No one saw me,” she said. “I do not think that there is any one but you who could positively identify the car. Neither my aunt nor the maid who is with us has any idea that I left my room last night.”
“Absolutely destroyed,” she assured him with a smile. “Some day I hope I’ll find courage to ask you whether you thought them becoming.”
“Some day,” he retorted, a little grimly, “I am going to have a very serious talk with you, Miss Abbeway.”
He made no response to her lighter mood. The appeal in her eyes left him colder than ever.
“I wish to save your life,” he declared, “and I mean to do it. At the same time, I cannot forget your crime or my complicity in it.”
“If you feel like that, then,” she said a little defiantly, “tell the truth. I knew the risk I was running. I am not afraid, even now. You can give me back those papers, if you like. I can assure you that the person on whom they are found will undoubtedly be shot.”