“Well, I shall draw my own conclusions,” I said.
“This is interesting,” said von Brüning, “in what sense?”
“It begins to dawn on me that you made fools of us at Bensersiel. Don’t you remember, Davies, what an interest he took in all our doings? I wonder if he feared our exploring propensities might possibly lead us to Memmert?”
“Upon my word, this is the blackest ingratitude. I thought I made myself particularly agreeable to you.”
“Yes, indeed; especially about the duck-shooting! How useful your local man would have been—both to us and to you!”
“Go on,” said the Commander, imperturbably.
“Wait a moment; I’m thinking it out.” And thinking it out I was in deadly earnest, for all my levity, as I pressed my hand on my burning forehead and asked myself where I was to stop in this seductive but perilous fraud. To carry it too far was to court complete exposure; to stop too soon was equally compromising.
“What is he talking about, and why go on with this ridiculous mystery?” said Frau Dollmann.
“I was thinking about this supper party, and the way it came about,” I pursued, slowly.
“Nothing to complain of, I hope?” said Dollmann.
“Of course not! Impromptu parties are always the pleasantest, and this one was delightfully impromptu. Now I bet you I know its origin! Didn’t you discuss us at Memmert? And didn’t one of you suggest——?
“One would almost think you had been there,” said Dollmann.
“You may thank your vile climate that we weren’t,” I retorted, laughing. “But, as I was saying, didn’t one of you suggest—which of you? Well, I’m sure it wasn’t the Commander——”
“It’s difficult to explain—an intuition, say—I am sure he stood up for us; and I don’t think it was Herr Dollmann, because he knows Davies already, and he’s always on the spot; and, in short I’ll swear it was Herr Böhme, who is leaving early to-morrow, and had never seen either of us. It was you, sir, who proposed that we should be asked to supper to-night—for inspection?”
“Inspection?” said Böhme; “what an extraordinary idea!”
“You can’t deny it, though! And one thing more; in the harbour just now—no—this is going too far; I shall mortally offend you.” I gave way to hearty laughter.
“Come, let’s have it. Your hallucinations are diverting.”