ime, and they could hear him
fingering the tubes and treading on the broken glass. He came out again
at last.

He was seriously offended.

"You should have told us your husband was an inventor."

"I didn't think it was of importance," said Vera.

"Everything is of importance," he answered. The atmosphere was now
entirely changed. The soldiers were angry--they had, it seemed, been
deceived and treated like children. The melancholy fellow with the black
beard looked at Vera with eyes of deep reproach.

"When will your husband return?" asked the student.

"I am afraid I don't know," said Vera. She realised that the situation
was now serious, but she could not keep her mind upon it. In that house
on the Quay what was happening? What had, perhaps, already happened?...

"Where has he gone?"

"I don't know."

"Why didn't he tell you where he was going?"

"He often does not tell me."

"Ah, that is wrong. In these days one should always say where one is
going."

He stood up very stiff and straight. "Search the house," he said to his
men.

Suddenly then Vera's mind concentrated. It was as though, she told me "I
came back into the room and saw for the first time what was happening."

"There is no one in the rest of the flat," she said, "and nothing that
can interest you."

"That is for me to judge," said the little officer grimly.

"But I assure you there is nothing," she went on eagerly. "There is only
the kitchen and the bath-room and the five bedrooms."

"Whose bedrooms?" said the officer.

"My husband's, my own, my sister's, my uncle's, and an Englishman's,"
she answered, colouring a little.

"Nevertheless we must do our duty.... Search the house," he repeated.

"But you must not go into our bedrooms," she said, her voice rising.
"There is nothing for you there. I am sure you will respect our
privacy."

"Our orders must be obeyed," he answered angrily.

"But--" she cried.

"Silence, Madame," he said, furiously, staring at her as though she were
his personal, deadly enemy.

"Very well," said Vera proudly. "Please do as you wish."

The officer walked past her with his head up, and the soldiers followed
him, their eyes malicious and inquisitive and excited. The sisters stood
together waiting. Of course the end had come. They simply stood there
fastening their resolution to the extreme moment.

"I must go with them," said Vera. She followed them into her bedroom. It
was a very little place and th