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she knew a lot might have raised doubts in his mind.

"Anyway," snarled Whittington, "you knew enough to come in here and plump out

that name."

It might be my own name," Tuppence pointed out.

It's likely, isn't it, then there would be two girls with a name like that?"

Or I might just have hit upon it by chance," continued Tuppence, intoxicated

with the success of truthfulness.

Mr. Whittington brought his fist down upon the desk with a bang.

Quit fooling! How much do you know? And how much do you want?"

The last five words took Tuppence's fancy mightily, especially after a meagre

breakfast and a supper of buns the night before. Her present part was of the

adventuress rather than the adventurous order, but she did not deny its

possibilities. She sat up and smiled with the air of one who has the situation

thoroughly well in hand.

"My dear Mr. Whittington," she said, "let us by all means lay our cards upon the

table. And pray do not be so angry. You heard me say yesterday that I proposed

to live by my wits. It seems to me that I have now proved I have some wits to live

by! I admit I have knowledge of a certain name, but perhaps my knowledge ends

there."

Yes--and perhaps it doesn't," snarled Whittington.

You insist on misjudging me," said Tuppence, and sighed gently.

As I said once before," said Whittington angrily, "quit fooling, and come to the

point. You can't play the innocent with me. You know a great deal more than

you're willing to admit."

Tuppence paused a moment to admire her own ingenuity, and then said softly:

I shouldn't like to contradict you, Mr. Whittington."

So we come to the usual question--how much?"

The Secret Adversary