HAUTEVILLE. I know that. STROEBEL. Listen to me quietly. You hinted before that if we kept you here another night you would confess everything. Well I tell you here and now that we will not keep you here one, but a number of nights. You can ease your conscience at once. HAUTEVILLE. I would only make yours the heavier for it. STROEBEL. My conscience? HAUTEVILLE. Yes, if I tell you here, there will be no possibility of a mistake, but everything must remain a mistake. STROEBEL. I have patience with you, but I will not let you fool me. Now get yourself together and consider every word. What must remain a mistake? HAUTEVILLE. Everything that has happened since Saturday night. STROEBEL. All that must remain a mistake? HAUTEVILLE. It simply must not have happened. No one broke into my apartment. No one arrested me. No one compelled anyone to hide in the wardrobe. STROEBEL [shouts.] And no one ever saw such an insolent female. HAUTEVILLE. This browbeating. STROEBEL. It is meant for such as you. HAUTEVILLE. [indignantly stopping her ears]. It reminds one so much of the tin plates and the comb. STROEBEL [angrily pacing the room]. I never heard anything like it. Picture it! She makes insinuations as though we had something to be afraid of. [He stops pacing and faces her.] You evidently imagine that the whole government would run away from you. HAUTEVILLE. No, but it ran away from your Lieutenant. STROEBEL. Where? HAUTEVILLE. Into the wardrobe. STROEBEL [pacing up and down]. I will bring that fellow out of your wardrobe. I will bring him to light. Into bright daylight! [Remains standing in front of Hauteville.] What did you say? HAUTEVILE. Non. STROEBEL [resuming his pacing']. One of those fine fellows who wallow in the mire and then expect us to make exceptions. [Stops pacing, facing Hauteville.] What were you saying? HAUTEVILLE. Nothing. STROEBEL. Sad enough that now and again a halfway decent person strays into your place. HAUTEVILLE. He can only regret that he was disturbed. STROEBEL [goes quickly to desk and unlocks a drawer]. Besides, do not deceive yourself. We do not need your disclosures. [He takes out a rather bulky paper, a school composition book, and holds it triumphantly in the air.] There; do you recognize this? HAUTEVILLE. [quietly, without a single trace of surprise]. It looks like my diary. STROEBEL. It is your book. It was found in your desk. HAUTEVILLE. [very calm]. The desk was locked, STROEBEL. It was broken open. Well? What about your loyalty now? HAUTEVILLE. [shrugs her shoulders]. I kept it. I haven't a fire-proof safe. STROEBEL [contemptuously]. Would you by chance like to show me the name? HAUTEVILLE. What name? STROEBEL. Of the gentleman in the wardrobe. HAUTEVILLE. [laughs]. His name really is not in it. STROEBEL. Do not evade but show me. HAUTEVILLE. Oh, there are parties whose names are not in the Hotel Register. They travel incognito.