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undressed quickly after she had gone, and gave himself a brisk rub down with a towel. He couldn't help thinking how much more pleasant it would have been to be in this house with Stella alone. He dressed in a pair of flannel trousers and heavy sweater over a white silk shirt and took his wet clothes into the kitchen.
     Gerda, dressed in a dark red dressing-gown, her long slender feet in a pair of Turkish slippers, was preparing a meal. On the table close at hand stood a large cocktail-shaker and three glasses.
     Denny picked the shaker up and sniffed at it. “Gin and du Bonnet,” he said. “Hell! This is going to be quite a party.”
     Gerda said, “You like Stella, don't you?” She said it very casually, without looking at him.
     Denny paused, his hand hovering over one of the glasses he was about to pick up. “What do you mean?” he asked sharply.
     “What I say,” Gerda went on, turning a thick slice of ham on the grille. “I know what you've been thinking. You'd like to sleep with her, wouldn't you?”
     Denny controlled himself with an effort. He poured out the cocktails and then came over and put one of them close beside her. “I'm not used to that sort of talk,” he said quietly. “I suppose it is pretty general where you come from?”
     Gerda sipped her drink. “That still doesn't answer my question,” she said, suddenly looking at him. “You would like her in bed, wouldn't you, Mr. Merlin?”
     Denny finished his drink and poured out another one. “I'm certainly not going to discuss a subject like that with you,” he said abruptly. “After all, you're the third party, and as such you have no business at all to suggest such a thing.”
     Gerda put her drink down and went to fetch eggs from the pantry. When she came back she said: “In a way, I suppose I'm unfortunate. I think along the same lines as a man. I noticed your eyes when Stella was showing off her body. It rather gave you away. Not that I blame you in the slightest. I'm sure I'd feel exactly the same in your place.”
     Denny said acidly, “Don't you?”
     “You mean am I one of those?” She shook her head. “Oh no. I might have been if I let myself go, of course, but I saw what an awful mess it would get me in. Stella is very much in love with me, but I don't do anything about it.”
     Denny lit a cigarette. “You know, you're rather an unpleasant person,” he said. “I'm damn sorry I ever had anything to do with you.”
     Gerda smiled. “Suppose we stop fooling around like this. You want Stella. I know you do. You are wishing I wasn't here so that you could be alone with her. You have a lot of money. I haven't any. I want money. I don't make any bones about it. I must have it. Tell me, Mr. Merlin, how much would you pay to have Stella alone for tonight?”
     Denny took a step towards her. His face had gone suddenly white. “Shut your beastly mouth, you bitch!” he said, “I've taken all I'm going to from you. So shut up, do you understand?”
     She stood very still, looking at him, then her mouth smiled. “Does that mean you'll think it over?” she asked, putting two eggs and the ham on a plate and putting it into his hand. “But eat this. I'll go and hurry Stella. I should like a bath too.”
     She left him standing staring after her with an angry, puzzled expression on his face.
     Stella was still in the bath when Gerda came in. She looked up and smiled. “Am I keeping you waiting, darling?” she asked, cupping her breasts in her hands and lying back on her elbows.
     Gerda looked at her beautiful white figure and sat on the edge of the bath. “No,” she said, “take your time. I want to talk to you.”
     Stella's face clouded. “What do you want now?” She laid stress on the word now.
     “What do you think I want?” Gerda said, her hard eyes suddenly