“Fellow who had the rooms,” said Amory carelessly. “He’s drunk as an owl, though. Been in there asleep since six o’clock.” “I’ll take a look at him presently.” “How did you find out?” asked Amory curiously. “Night clerk saw you go up-stairs with this woman.” Amory nodded; Jill reappeared from the bathroom, completely if rather untidily arrayed. “Now then,” began Olson, producing a note-book, “I want your real names—no damn John Smith or Mary Brown.” “Wait a minute,” said Amory quietly. “Just drop that big-bully stuff. We merely got caught, that’s all.” Olson glared at him. “Name?” he snapped. Amory gave his name and New York address. “And the lady?” “Miss Jill—” “Say,” cried Olson indignantly, “just ease up on the nursery rhymes. What’s your name? Sarah Murphy? Minnie Jackson?” “Oh, my God!” cried the girl cupping her tear-stained face in her hands. “I don’t want my mother to know. I don’t want my mother to know.” “Come on now!” “Shut up!” cried Amory at Olson. An instant’s pause. “Stella Robbins,” she faltered finally. “General Delivery, Rugway, New Hampshire.” Olson snapped his note-book shut and looked at them very ponderously. “By rights the hotel could turn the evidence over to the police and you’d go to penitentiary, you would, for bringin’ a girl from one State to ’nother f’r immoral purp’ses—” He paused to let the majesty of his words sink in. “But—the hotel is going to let you off.” “It doesn’t want to get in the papers,” cried Jill fiercely. “Let us off! Huh!” A great lightness surrounded Amory. He realized that he was safe and only then did he appreciate the full enormity of what he might have incurred. “However,” continued Olson, “there’s a protective association among the hotels. There’s been too much of this stuff, and we got a ’rangement with the newspapers so that you get a little free publicity. Not the name of the hotel, but just a line sayin’ that you had a little trouble in ’lantic City. See?” “I see.” “You’re gettin’ off light—damn light—but—” “Come on,” said Amory briskly. “Let’s get out of here. We don’t need a valedictory.” Olson walked through the bathroom and took a cursory glance at Alec’s still form. Then he extinguished the lights and motioned them to follow him. As they walked into the elevator Amory considered a piece of bravado—yielded finally. He reached out and tapped Olson on the arm. “Would you mind taking off your hat? There’s a lady in the elevator.”