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.""And if I don't tell you?""We'll just have to play it out," he said tiredly."Go on.Shoot.Give me theopening line."She tilted her head back, showing teeth as regular as a neck-lace of pearls."I think you're beautiful," she said."Thank you.""You talk just like I imagined you would.""That must be a great relief.""You sound wildly exciting.""Good.""But I'm afraid I'm going to be a great disappointment.""Are you?""I'm afraid I'm only a mildly enterprising nitwit."He went on looking at her dispassionately."I adore you," she said."I adore me too," he said."Tell me about you."She tasted her drink."My name's Andrea Quennel."It went through him like a chemical reaction, a sudden con-gealing andenveloping stillness.In an almost unreal detach-ment he observed her lefthand.It wore no rings.He crossed over to her, and calmly took the purse fromher lap and opened it.He found a compact with her initials on it, and didn'tsearch any further."Satisfied?" she asked."You must be Hobart Quennel's daughter," he said."That's right.We came in just as Mr.Devan was driving off after he'd droppedyou.He told us about your little excitement this evening.He hadn't thoughtanything about your name, but being a romantic soul of course I had to wonderat once if it was you.So I inquired at the desk, and it was."She looked very pleased with herself, and very comfortable."That still doesn't tell me why you had to see me this way," he said."I wanted to meet you.Because I've been crazy about you for years.""Why did you try to pretend to be a reporter?"She shrugged."You said it yourself, didn't you? I'm a mildly enterprising nitwit.So Idon't want everyone to know what a nitwit I am.I suppose I could have madeMr.Devan call you up on some excuse and met you that way, but I try to lethim think I'm halfway sane, because after all he does work for my father.Andif I'd call you up and said I was dying to meet you I was sure you'd just sendthe house detective after me.So I thought I was being rather clever." Herface became quite empty and listless."I guess I wasn't.I'm sorry."Her vague light eyes studied him for a moment longer; and then she stood up."Anyway, I did get to meet you, just the same, so I think it was worth it.I'll get out of your way now."He watched her.The curious inward immobility that had seized him when shetold him her name had dissolved com-pletely, but imperceptibly, so that hehadn't even noticed the change.But his brain was fluid and alive again now,as if all the cells in it were working like coordinated individuals, like beesin a hive.He said: "Sit down, Andrea, and finish your drink."She sat down, with a surprised expression, as if someone had pushed her.TheSaint smiled."After all, you were enterprising," he murmured, "so I'll forgive you.Besides, it's just occurred to me that you might be able to do something forPage 27 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlme one of these days."Her eyes opened."Could I? I'd do anything.But you're just kidding me.Nothing somarvelous as that could ever happen!""Don't be too sure.""Do you often do that? I mean, get perfect strangers to help you do things?""Not often.But sometimes.And anyway, perhaps by that time we won't be suchstrangers.""I hope not," she said softly; and then she blinked."This isn't happening tome," she said.He laughed."What do you do work for Quenco too?""Oh, no.I'm much too stupid.I just do nothing.I'm a very useless person,really.What would you want me to do for you?""I'll tell you when the time comes.""I hope it'll be something exciting.""It might be."She leaned forward a little, watching him eagerly."Tell me why did you think I might be an Axis agent? Were you expecting one?""It wasn't impossible," he said carefully."Are you working on some Secret Service job? And those men you had the fightwith tonight.No, wait." She frowned, thinking.Somehow, although shesaid she was stupid, she managed to look quite intelligent, thinking."Mr.Devan only thought of a hold-up.But he knew this girl you rescued MadelineGray.You see, I've got a memory like a parrot.Her father has an invention.Synthetic rubber.So the Gestapo or whatever it is want to get hold of it.Sothey think if they can kidnap his daughter they can make him tell.But you'relooking after her, so they don't get away with it.So you think they'll besending somebody to get rid of you.How's that?"He blew a meticulously rounded smoke-ring."It's not bad.""Is it right?""I can't answer for all of it.Madeline Gray, yes.Father makes syntheticrubber, yes.Try to kidnap daughter, yes.But who and why that's something tomake up our minds about slowly.""Is that why you asked if I was an Axis agent or a private crook?" she saidshrewdly.The shift of his lips and eyebrows was cheerfully noncom-mittal
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