Lady Isobel Saffren Waldon had been given a cabin in line with ours, at the end of our corridor.

Her maid, and her two Swahili servants were obliged to pass our doors to get to her cabin at all.

As nearly all ships' cabins on those hot routes do, ours intercommunicated by a metal grill for ventilating purposes, and a word spoken in one cabin above a whisper could be heard in the next.
Fred was the first to realize conditions.

He opened his door in his usual abrupt way to visit Monty's cabin and almost fell over the Syrian maid, her eye at Monty's key-hole--a little too early in the game to pass for sound judgment, as Fred was at pains to assure her.
The alarm being given, we locked our cabin doors, repaired to the smoking-room, and ordered drinks at a center table where no eavesdropper could overhear.
"It's one of two things," said Monty.

He had his folding board out, and we did not doubt he would play chess from there to London.