but first I want to speak to you alone. Mr. Franz doesn’t mind leaving us for a while, does he?”
“But why?” said the old man hesitatingly. He didn’t understand at all what was going on and he would much rather have remained.
“Because I came here for the special purpose of speaking to Mrs. Bernauer,” replied Muller calmly.
“Then you didn’t come on account of the dog?”
“No, I didn’t come on account of the dog.”
“Then you—you lied to me?”
“Partly.”
“And you’re no veterinary?”
“No—I can help your dog, but I am not a veterinary and never have been.”
“What are you then?”
“I will tell Mrs. Bernauer who and what I am when you are outside—outside in the courtyard there. You can walk about in the garden if you want to, or else go and get some simple purgative for this dog. That is all he needs; he has been over-fed.”
Franz was quite bewildered. These new developments promised to be interesting and he was torn between his desire to know more, and his doubts as to the propriety of leaving the housekeeper with this queer stranger. He hesitated until the woman herself motioned to him to go. He went out into the hall, then into the courtyard, watched by the two in the room who stood silently in the window until they saw the butler pass down into the garden. Then they looked at each other.
“You belong to the police?” asked Adele Bernauer finally with a deep sigh.
“That was a good guess,” replied Muller with an ironic smile, adding: “All who have any reason to fear us are very quick in recognising us.”
“What do you mean by that?” she exclaimed with a start. “What are you thinking of?”
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