George snorted and poured himself another drink, without waiting to be asked.

“Is that the academic brain at work? Your alternatives don’t impress me. You think the Gräfin lied about locking that door?”

“That doesn’t follow. There are any number of possibilities. Maybe she thought she locked it, and didn’t. Maybe someone else unlocked it, and locked it again later. Maybe there’s another door out of the room.”

“Yeah.” George looked more cheerful. “That’s so. But do you remember what our apparition was wearing?”

“A light robe,” I said. “White or pale gray, with full sleeves and a gathered yoke.”

“Well, you saw the girl’s nightgown—God save us. I also saw her dressing gown, or housecoat, or whatever you call it. It was lying across the foot of her bed.”

“And it, I suppose, was black,” said Tony.

“Navy blue,” I said. “With small light-colored flowers. Very unflattering, with her coloring…. That doesn’t prove anything. She could have a closetful of long white robes, and she had plenty of time to change.”

Tony stood up.

“This is a waste of time. You think that girl was faking. Well, I don’t. Come on, Nolan, let’s be off.”

George sipped his drink.

“You two kill me,” he said conversationally. “Why don’t we put our cards on the table?”

“What cards?” I asked. “You know why we are here and vice versa. If I judge your sneaky character accurately, you probably know by now as much as Tony does. But you don’t know any more than that; and if you did, you wouldn’t tell us. You must be crazy if you think I’m going to give you any information.”

George reached for the bottle. I moved it away from his hand. Good Scotch is expensive. Unperturbed, he grinned at me.

“You’re quite a girl. If you find the shrine, I might revise my long-seated hostility toward marriage.”

“That’s big of you. But my hostility is just as deep-seated, if not as long established.”

George stood up. Still smiling, he stretched lazily. Muscles rippled all over him.

“I’m noted for getting what I want,” he murmured.

Tony, who had been swelling like a turkey, couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Play your hot love scenes in private, why don’t you?”

“If you’d take the hint and leave, we would,” said George.

“Oh, no, we wouldn’t,” I said. “Out, both of you. I need my beauty sleep. Who knows, I may not find the shrine. Then I would have to rely on sheer sex appeal to catch myself a husband.”

“I’m betting on you,” said George. He glanced at Tony, who said shortly,

“It’s all for none and one for each in this game. We’ll see. Come on, Nolan. Good night, Vicky.”