The Secret Adversary

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"Mrs. Vandemeyer came round the screen at once. Her face was so wicked I
nearly died, but I smiled up at her doubtfully, and asked her in French
where I was.

"It puzzled her, I could see. She called the man she had been talking
to. He stood by the screen with his face in shadow. He spoke to me in
French. His voice was very ordinary and quiet, but somehow, I don't know
why, he scared me worse than the woman. I felt he'd seen right through
me, but I went on playing my part. I asked again where I was, and then
went on that there was something I MUST remember--MUST remember--only
for the moment it was all gone. I worked myself up to be more and more
distressed. He asked me my name. I said I didn't know--that I couldn't
remember anything at all.

"Suddenly he caught my wrist, and began twisting it. The pain was awful.
I screamed. He went on. I screamed and screamed, but I managed to shriek
out things in French. I don't know how long I could have gone on, but