‘Had you told Mr. Van Torp all this?’ asked Lady Maud anxiously.
‘No,’ Logotheti answered. ’I was keeping the information ready in case it should be needed.’
A familiar voice spoke behind them.
‘Well, it’s all right as it is. Much obliged, all the same.’
All three turned suddenly and saw that Mr. Van Torp had crept up while they were talking, and the expression of his tremendous mouth showed that he had meant to surprise them, and was pleased with his success in doing so.
‘Really!’ exclaimed Lady Maud.
‘Goodness gracious!’ cried the Primadonna.
‘By the Dog of Egypt!’ laughed Logotheti.
‘Don’t know the breed,’ answered Van Torp, not understanding, but cheerfully playful. ‘Was it a trick dog?’
‘I thought you were in London,’ Margaret said.
’I was. Between one and four this morning, I should say. It’s all right.’ He nodded to Lady Maud as he spoke the last words, but he did not seem inclined to say more.
‘Is it a secret?’ she asked.
‘I never have secrets,’ answered the millionaire. ’Secrets are everything that must be found out and put in the paper right away, ain’t they? But I had no trouble at all, only the bother of waiting till the office got an answer from the other side. I happened to remember where I’d spent the evening of the explosion, that’s all, and they cabled sharp and found my statement correct.’
‘Why did you never tell me?’ asked Lady Maud reproachfully. ’You knew how anxious I was!’
‘Well,’ replied Mr. Van Torp, dwelling long on the syllable, ’I did tell you it was all right anyhow, whatever they did, and I thought maybe you’d accept the statement. The man I spent that evening with is a public man, and he mightn’t exactly think our interview was anybody else’s business, might he?’