The Kingdom of the Blind [73]
recognise you as having any special claims for information."
The Minister rose to his feet. Those few minutes marked to him an era in his official life.
"You are adopting an attitude, sir," he said, "which, however much I may admire it from one point of view, seems to me scarcely to take into account the facts of the situation."
Thomson made no reply. He had risen to his feet. His manner clearly indicated that he considered the interview at an end. Mr. Gordon Jones choked down his displeasure.
"When you are wanting a civil job, Major Thomson," he concluded, "come and give us a call. Good morning!"
CHAPTER XXIX
"A lady to see you, sir," Jarvis announced discreetly.
Granet turned quickly around in his chair. Almost instinctively he pulled down the roll top of the desk before which he was seated. Then he rose to his feet and held out his hand. He managed with an effort to conceal the consternation which had succeeded his first impulse of surprise.
"Miss Worth!" he exclaimed.
She came towards him confidently, her hands outstretched, slim, dressed in sober black, he cheeks as pale as ever, her eyes a little more brilliant. She threw her muff into a chair and a moment afterwards sank into it herself.
"You have been expecting me?" she asked eagerly.
Granet was a little taken aback.
"I have been hoping to hear from you," he said. "You told me, if you remember, not to write."
"It was better not," she assented. "Even after you left I had a great deal of trouble. That odious man, Major Thomson, put me through a regular cross-examination again, and I had to tell him at last--"
"What?" Granet exclaimed anxiously.
"That we were engaged to be married," she confessed. "There was really no other way out of it."
"That we were engaged," Granet repeated blankly.
She nodded.
"He pressed me very hard," she went on, "and I am afraid I made some admissions--well, there were necessary--which, to say the least of it, were compromising. There was only one way out of it decently for me, and I took it. You don't mind?"
"Of course not," he replied.
"There was father to be considered," she went on. "He was furious at first--"
"You told your father?" he interrupted.
"I had to," she explained, smoothing her muff. "He was there all the time that Thomson man was cross-examining me."
"Then your father believes in our engagement, too?"
"He does," she answered drily, "or I am afraid you would have heard a little more from Major Thomson before now. Ever since that night, father has been quite impossible to live with. He says he has to being a part of his work all over again."
"The bombs really did do some damage, then?" he asked.
She nodded, looking at him for a moment curiously.
"Yes," she acknowledged, "they did more harm than any one knows. The place is like a fortress now. They say that if they can find the other man who helped to light that flare, he will be shot in five minutes."
Granet, who had been standing with his elbow upon the mantelpiece, leaned over and took a cigarette from a box.
"Then, for his sake, let us hope that they do not find him," he remarked.
"And ours," she said softly.
Granet stood and looked at her steadfastly, the match burning in his fingers. Then he threw it away and lit another. The interval had been full of unadmitted tension, which suddenly passed.
"Shall you think I am horribly greedy," she asked, "if I say that I should like something to eat? I am dying of hunger."
Granet for a moment was startled. Then he moved towards the bell.
"How absurd of me!" he exclaimed. "Of course, you have just come up, haven't you?"
"I have come straight from the station here," she replied.
He paused.
"Where are you staying, then?"
She shook her head.
"I don't know yet," she admitted.
"You don't know?" he repeated.
She met his gaze without flinching. There was a little spot of colour in her cheeks, however, and her lips quivered.
"You see," she explained, "things became absolutely impossible
The Minister rose to his feet. Those few minutes marked to him an era in his official life.
"You are adopting an attitude, sir," he said, "which, however much I may admire it from one point of view, seems to me scarcely to take into account the facts of the situation."
Thomson made no reply. He had risen to his feet. His manner clearly indicated that he considered the interview at an end. Mr. Gordon Jones choked down his displeasure.
"When you are wanting a civil job, Major Thomson," he concluded, "come and give us a call. Good morning!"
CHAPTER XXIX
"A lady to see you, sir," Jarvis announced discreetly.
Granet turned quickly around in his chair. Almost instinctively he pulled down the roll top of the desk before which he was seated. Then he rose to his feet and held out his hand. He managed with an effort to conceal the consternation which had succeeded his first impulse of surprise.
"Miss Worth!" he exclaimed.
She came towards him confidently, her hands outstretched, slim, dressed in sober black, he cheeks as pale as ever, her eyes a little more brilliant. She threw her muff into a chair and a moment afterwards sank into it herself.
"You have been expecting me?" she asked eagerly.
Granet was a little taken aback.
"I have been hoping to hear from you," he said. "You told me, if you remember, not to write."
"It was better not," she assented. "Even after you left I had a great deal of trouble. That odious man, Major Thomson, put me through a regular cross-examination again, and I had to tell him at last--"
"What?" Granet exclaimed anxiously.
"That we were engaged to be married," she confessed. "There was really no other way out of it."
"That we were engaged," Granet repeated blankly.
She nodded.
"He pressed me very hard," she went on, "and I am afraid I made some admissions--well, there were necessary--which, to say the least of it, were compromising. There was only one way out of it decently for me, and I took it. You don't mind?"
"Of course not," he replied.
"There was father to be considered," she went on. "He was furious at first--"
"You told your father?" he interrupted.
"I had to," she explained, smoothing her muff. "He was there all the time that Thomson man was cross-examining me."
"Then your father believes in our engagement, too?"
"He does," she answered drily, "or I am afraid you would have heard a little more from Major Thomson before now. Ever since that night, father has been quite impossible to live with. He says he has to being a part of his work all over again."
"The bombs really did do some damage, then?" he asked.
She nodded, looking at him for a moment curiously.
"Yes," she acknowledged, "they did more harm than any one knows. The place is like a fortress now. They say that if they can find the other man who helped to light that flare, he will be shot in five minutes."
Granet, who had been standing with his elbow upon the mantelpiece, leaned over and took a cigarette from a box.
"Then, for his sake, let us hope that they do not find him," he remarked.
"And ours," she said softly.
Granet stood and looked at her steadfastly, the match burning in his fingers. Then he threw it away and lit another. The interval had been full of unadmitted tension, which suddenly passed.
"Shall you think I am horribly greedy," she asked, "if I say that I should like something to eat? I am dying of hunger."
Granet for a moment was startled. Then he moved towards the bell.
"How absurd of me!" he exclaimed. "Of course, you have just come up, haven't you?"
"I have come straight from the station here," she replied.
He paused.
"Where are you staying, then?"
She shook her head.
"I don't know yet," she admitted.
"You don't know?" he repeated.
She met his gaze without flinching. There was a little spot of colour in her cheeks, however, and her lips quivered.
"You see," she explained, "things became absolutely impossible