"You have seen Mr. Bellamy?" she asked.
Laverick shook his head.
"No, I have seen nothing of Bellamy to-day. I came to call upon you this afternoon."
She wrung her hands.
"You understand, of course!" she exclaimed. "I did not trust Lassen, but I never imagined anything like this. He is an Austrian. Only a few hours ago I learned that he is one of their most heavily paid spies. Streuss got hold of him. But there, I forgot--you do not understand this. It is enough that he laid a plot to get that document from you. Where is it, Mr. Laverick? You have brought it now?"
"Why, no," Laverick answered, "I have not."
Her eyes were round with terror. She held out her hands as though to keep away some tormenting thought.
"Where is it?" she cried. "You have not parted with it?
"I have not," Laverick replied gravely. "It is in the safe deposit of a hotel to which I have moved."
She closed her eyes and drew a long breath of relief.
"You are not well," Laverick said. "Let me help you to a chair."
She sat down wearily.
"Why have you moved to a hotel?" she asked.
"To tell you the truth," Laverick answered, "I seem to have wandered into a sort of modern Arabian Nights. Three times to-day attempts have been made to get that document from me by force. I have been followed whereever I went. I felt that it was not safe in my chambers, so I moved to a hotel and deposited it in their strong-room. I have come to the conclusion that the best thing I can do is to open it to-morrow morning, and decide for myself as to its destination."
Louise sat quite still for several moments. Then she opened her eyes.
"What you say is an immense relief to me, Mr. Laverick," she declared. "I perceive now that we have made a mistake. We should have told you the whole truth from the first. This afternoon when Mr. Bellamy left me, it was to come to you and tell you everything."
Laverick listened gravely.
"Really," he said, "it seems to me the wisest course. I haven't the least desire to keep the document. I cannot think why Bellamy did not treat me with confidence from the first--"
He stopped short. Suddenly he understood. Something in Louise's face gave him the hint.
"Of course!" he murmured to himself.
"Mr. Laverick," Louise said quietly, "in this matter I am no man's judge, yet, as you and I know well, that paper could have come into your hands in one way, and one way only. There may be some explanation. If so, it is for you to offer it or not, as you think best. Mr. Bellamy and I are allies in this matter. It is not our business to interfere with the course of justice. You will run no risk in parting with that paper.