She stiffened a fraction. “According to that detective person, you were behind the man who was blackmailing me.”

“And you believed that? Good Lord!” He contrived to inflect into his voice just the right mixture of amusement and astonishment at her credulity. “If I were that kind of dirty skunk, why should I try to shelter behind someone else? Did I ever strike you, Adèle, as a man who would be afraid of coming out into the open in a case like that?”

“Do you mean that he invented that story?”

“Invented it. That’s one of the oldest tricks of the police detective. He wanted to embitter you against me. I give you my word of honour, Adèle. You’ll believe me, won’t you?”

“Do you know it never struck me in that way,” she said reflectively. She thrust out a hand towards him which he affected not to see. “Of course I believe you, Larry.”