Something characteristic in Heyst's attitude made her say,
almost in a whisper:
"You are looking for something."
He could not have heard her before; but he didn't start at the
unexpected whisper. He only pushed the drawer of the table in and,
without even looking over his shoulder, asked quietly, accepting her
presence as if he had been aware of all her movements:
"I say, are you certain that Wang didn't go through this room this
evening?"
"Wang? When?"
"After leaving the lantern, I mean."
"Oh, no. He ran on. I watched him."
"Or before, perhaps--while I was with these boat people? Do you know?
Can you tell?"
"I hardly think so. I came out as the sun went down, and sat outside
till you came back to me."
"He could have popped in for an instant through the back veranda."
"I heard nothing in here," she said. "What is the matter?"
"Naturally you wouldn't hear. He can be as quiet as a shadow, when he
likes. I believe he could steal the pillows from under our heads. He
might have been here ten minutes ago."
"What woke you up? Was it a noise?"
"Can't say that. Generally one can't tell, but is it likely, Lena? You
are, I believe, the lighter sleeper of us two. A noise loud enough to
wake me up would have awakened you, too. I tried to be as quiet as I
could. What roused you?"
"I don't know--a dream, perhaps.
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