Presently a bell was rung.

Stumm appeared with his host, and we went in to supper.
I was jolly hungry and would have made a good meal if I hadn't constantly had to keep jogging my wits.

The other two talked in German, and when a question was put to me Stumm translated.

The first thing I had to do was to pretend I didn't know German and look listlessly round the room while they were talking.

The second was to miss not a word, for there lay my chance.