16
BUT Stephen was not allowed to go to bed. Their host overtook the two Americans in the corridor.
'One moment, please!' His tone was flustered. 'It's about that dirk of mine—I wish to make it quite clear that it was out of my possession throughout the evening. You two gentlemen saw the Vicomte with it in the hall after dinner—you must remember that I was called away while he was still playing the fool and that he never gave it back to me?' His stern gaze questioned each in turn.
Berg had slouched up behind them. 'Ja, we all saw him with it,' he growled. 'Nobody's denying the kid had the knife. The point is, what became of it after?'
'I've told you already,' the laird returned without heat, 'that I asked d'Arenne, when I saw him in the billiard-room at midnight, what he'd done with it
