De Moche glanced at his watch. "I have a lecture at this hour," he
remarked, evidently glad of an excuse to terminate the interview.
As he left, Kennedy accompanied him to the door, careful himself
to step over the mat.
"Hello, what's new?" we heard a voice in the hall.
It was Lockwood, who had come up from downtown. Catching sight of
de Moche, however, he stopped short. The two young men met face to
face. Between them passed a glance of unconcealed hostility, then
each nodded stiffly.
De Moche turned to Kennedy as he passed down the hall. "Perhaps it
may have been sent to divert suspicion--who can tell?" he
whispered.
Kennedy nodded appreciatively, noting the change.
At the sound of Lockwood's voice both Norton and I had taken a
step further after them out into the hall, Norton somewhat in
advance. As de Moche disappeared for his lecture, Kennedy turned
to me from Lockwood and caught my eye. I read in his glance that
fell from me to the mat that he wished me quietly to abstract the
piece of paper which he had placed under it. I bent down and did
so without Lockwood seeing me.
"Why was he here?" demanded Lockwood, with just a trace of
defiance in his voice, as though he fancied the meeting had been
framed.
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