He did as she bade and in five minutes she joined him. He was smoking a cigarette.

“I say, could I have a brandy and soda?”

“Yes, I'll ring.”

“I don't think it would hurt you by the look of things.”

They waited in silence for the boy to answer. She gave the order.

“Ring up the laboratory and ask if Walter is there,” she said then. “They won't know your voice.”

He took up the receiver and asked for the number. He inquired whether Dr. Fane was in. He put down the receiver.

“He hasn't been in since tiffin,” he told her. “Ask the boy whether he has been here.”

“I daren't. It'll look so funny if he has and I didn't see him.”

The boy brought the drinks and Townsend helped himself. When he offered her some she shook her head.

“What's to be done if it was Walter?” she asked.

“Perhaps he wouldn't care.”

“Walter?”

Her tone was incredulous.

“It's always struck me he was rather shy. Some men can't bear scenes, you know. He's got sense enough to know that there's nothing to be gained by making a scandal. I don't believe for a minute it was Walter, but even if it was, my impression is that he'll do nothing. I think he'll ignore it.”

She reflected for a moment.

“He's awfully in love with me.”

“Well, that's all to the good. You'll get round him.”

He gave her that charming smile of his which she had always found so irresistible. It was a slow smile which started in his clear blue eyes and travelled by perceptible degrees to his shapely mouth. He had small white even teeth. It was a very sensual smile and it made her heart melt in her body.

“I don't very much care,” she said, with a flash of gaiety. “It was worth it.”

“It was my fault.”

“Why did you come? I was amazed to see you.”

“I couldn't resist it.”

“You dear.”

She leaned a little towards him, her dark and shining eyes gazing passionately into his, her mouth a little open with desire, and he put his arms round her. She abandoned herself with a sigh of ecstasy to their shelter.

“You know you can always count on me.” he said.

“I'm so happy with you. I wish I could make you as happy as you make me.”

“You're not frightened any more?”

“I hate Walter,” she answered.

He did not quite know what to say to this, so he kissed her. Her face was very soft against his.

But he took her wrist on which was a little gold watch and looked at the time.

“Do you know what I must do now?”

“Bolt?” she smiled.

He nodded. For one instant she clung to him more closely, but she felt his desire to go, and she released him.

“It's shameful the way you neglect your work. Be off with you.”

He could never resist the temptation to flirt.

“You seem in a devil of a hurry to get rid of me,” he said lightly.

“You know that I hate to let you go.”

Her answer was low and deep and serious. He gave a flattered laugh.

“Don't worry your pretty little head about our mysterious visitor. I'm quite sure it was the amah. And if there's any trouble I guarantee to get you out of it.”

“Have you had a lot of experience?”

His smile was amused and complacent.

“No, but I flatter myself that I've got a head screwed on my shoulders.”

他照她的话做了，过了五分钟，她也来到起居室，他正抽着香烟。

“我说，能给我来点儿白兰地和苏打水吗？”

“好的，我按铃叫人送来。”

“照目前的情况来看，我觉得这事对你不会有什么伤害的。”

在等男仆回应的时候，他们沉默了一会儿。她又下了一道命令。

“你给实验室打个电话吧，问问沃尔特在不在，”过了一会儿她说道，“他们听不出你的声音。”

他拿起了电话，问了她号码。他在电话里询问了费恩博士在不在实验室。然后，他放下了听筒。

“午饭后他就不在实验室了，”他告诉她，“你问问那男仆他是不是回来过了。”

“我不敢，要是他回来过了，而我又没看见他，这看上去太奇怪了。”

男仆拿来了酒水，汤森自顾自地倒了一杯。当他递给凯蒂一杯时，她摇了摇头。

“如果真是沃尔特，我们该如何是好？”

“也许他不会在乎的。”

“你是说沃尔特吗？”

她的语气充满狐疑。

“我印象中他相当腼腆，你知道，有些男人经不起场面，他们明白闹出了丑闻对他们可没有丝毫好处。我觉得不可能是沃尔特，但哪怕就是他，我感觉他也不会闹出什么动静的，他会当这事没有发生过一样。”

她思索了一会儿。

“他特别爱我。”

“哦，那样更好，你可以哄哄他。”

他给了她一个迷人的微笑，对他的这种微笑，她发现自己总是无法抗拒。他的微笑首先在清澈的蓝眼睛中慢慢散开，然后逐渐游弋到有型的嘴角，最后到达小巧、洁白、整齐的牙齿。这是一种十分性感的微笑，足以令她的心为之融化。

“我并不是很担心，”她说道，带着一股突然涌出的喜悦，“这值得。”

“都是我的错。”

“你为什么过来了？看到你来让我又惊又喜。”

“我忍不住要来看你。”

“亲爱的。”

她的身子依偎着他，乌黑闪亮的双眼充满激情地凝视着他的眼睛，嘴微微张着，带着渴望。他伸过双臂把她揽了过来，她发出一声狂喜的轻叹，忘情地投入了他的怀抱。

“你知道你总能指望上我。”他说道。

“我跟你在一起幸福极了，我希望我能让你感到和我一样的幸福。”

“你不再害怕了？”

“我讨厌沃尔特。”她回答道。

他不是很清楚应该如何作答，所以亲吻着她，而她用脸温柔地贴着他的脸。

但是他抬起她的手腕，看了看腕上小金表上的时间。

“你知道我现在必须做什么了吗？”

“溜走？”她微笑着说。

他点了点头。一时间她又更紧地贴着他，但她能觉出他想要离开了，所以她放开了手。

“你玩忽职守，真不害臊，我不理你了。”

他从来不拒绝这种挑逗性的调情。

“你似乎急不可耐地要摆脱我呀。”他轻佻地说。

“你知道我不愿意让你离开。”

她的回答低沉而认真，他无言以对，只好讨好般地笑了笑。

“你的小脑袋瓜儿别再为今天的神秘来客伤神了，我敢肯定是女仆，而且如果真有什么麻烦，我保证帮你摆平。”

“你有很多经验吗？”

他的微笑显示出他既觉得好玩，又有点儿得意。

“没有呀，但我还是要自夸一下，我的脑袋还是蛮灵光的。”