"Fräulein Althea is in this house," he rapped out sharply. "You helped her to get out of Dormund’s clutches at the station, and you are sheltering her here."
"Assume for a moment that she is here--mind you, I don’t admit it. But assume it, what were you going to gain by putting Dormund on the track? I want the truth, you know. Suppose you had succeeded in putting her in the hands of the police, how would that help you?"
He rose. "Mind your own business," he said angrily.
"No, it’s yours I am minding just now. You are going to stop this hunting down of Fräulein Althea. If you don’t I shall turn hunter myself, with you as the quarry. You are not worth quarrelling with, so you needn’t trouble yourself to stand sneering there. I shan’t take any notice. Just read this."
I handed him the letter which Ziegler had given me. He started nervously as he read it, changed colour, and looked at me with an expression of bitter hate.
"I asked Herr Ziegler when I might congratulate him on Hagar’s marriage," I said with a smile. "And that’s one reason why I want to know your reason for what you are doing against Fräulein Althea. You profess to wish to marry her, you know; and even the son of a powerful Minister can’t marry them both."
His confusion and anger were so intense that he could not find any reply to make to my jibe. He dropped back into his seat and sat biting his nails and scowling. I was delighted with my success.
"Well?" I asked at length. "A bit awkward, isn’t it? I told you it was getting to be my turn to laugh. But I’m ready to come to an understanding. Drop this hunting business, and I’ll hold my tongue to Ziegler."
"You’ve cornered me," he admitted with an oath. Then he laughed and swore again. "It wasn’t my doing."
"About Althea. I had to seem to wish it. It’s my father’s plan."
"You did the seeming very realistically," I retorted drily. "What are you going to do?"
"Marry the Ziegler girl when the time comes. I’ve no choice"; and he shrugged his shoulders and sneered.
"Why did your father wish you to marry a poor girl like Fräulein Althea?"
"If I’m not going to do it, what does that matter?"
"Not much, and I’ll see that you don’t do it," I replied as I rose. "We’ll call a halt on both sides. I shan’t talk so long as you run straight. But mind you do"; and with that I let him go.