"Do you take tea?" Mr. Sandal asked, the question being merely a reflex conditioned by the presence of the tea-tray.
"Thank you," said the young man. "No sugar."
"You do realise, don't you," Mr. Sandal said, half-appealingly, "that such a very startling and-and serious claim must be investigated? One cannot, you understand, merely accept your statement."
"I don't expect you to."
"Good. That is good. Very sensible of you. At some later date it may be possible-the fatted calf-but just now we have to be sensible about it. You do see that. Milk?"
"Thank you."
"For instance: you ran away, you say. Ran away to sea, I take it."
"Yes."
"On what ship?"
"The Ira Jones. She was lying in Westover harbour."
"You stowed away, of course."
"Yes."
"And where did the ship take you?" asked Mr. Sandal, making notes and beginning to feel that he wasn't doing so badly after all. This was quite the worst situation he had ever been in, and there was no question of catching the 5.15 now.
"The Channel Islands. St. Helier."
"Were you discovered on board?"
"No."
"You disembarked at St. Helier, undiscovered."
"Yes."
"And there?"
"I got the boat to St. Malo."
"You stowed away again?"
"No, I paid my fare."
"You remember what the boat was called?"
"No; it was the regular ferry service."
"I see. And then?"
"I went bus-riding. Buses always seemed to me more exciting than that old station wagon at Latchetts, but I never had a chance of riding in them."
"The station wagon. Ah, yes," said Mr. Sandal; and wrote: "Remembers car." "And then?"
"Let me see. I was garage-boy for a while at an hotel in a place called Villedieu."
"You remember the name of the hotel, perhaps?"
"The Dauphin, I think. From there I went across country and fetched up in Havre. In Havre I got a job as galley boy on a tramp steamer."
"The name? You remember it?"
"I'll never forget it! She was called the Barfleur. I joined her as Farrar. F-a-r-r-a-r. I stayed with her until I left her in Tampico. From there I worked my way north to the States. Would you like me to write down for you the places I worked at in the States?"
"That would be very kind of you. Here is-ah, you have a pen. If you would just write them here, in a list. Thank you. And you came back to England — ?"
"On the 2nd of last month. On the Philadelphia. As a passenger. I took a room in London and have lived there ever since. I'll write the address for you; you'll want to check that too."
"Yes. Thank you. Yes." Mr. Sandal had an odd feeling that it was this young man-who after all was on trial, so to speak-who was dominating the situation and not, as it certainly should be, himself. He pulled himself together.
"Have you attempted to communicate with your — I mean, with Miss Ashby?"
"No, is it difficult?" said the young man gently.
"What I mean is — "
"I've done nothing about my family, if that is what you mean. I thought this was the best way."
"Very wise. Very wise." There he was again, being forced into the position of chorus. "I shall get in touch with Miss Ashby at once, and inform her of your visit."
"Tell her that I'm alive, yes."
"Yes. Quite so." Was the young man making fun of him? Surely not.
"Meanwhile you will go on living at this address?"
"Yes, I shall be there." The young man got up, again taking the initiative from him.
"If your credentials prove to be good," Mr. Sandal said with an attempt at severity, "I shall be the first to welcome you back to England and to your home. In spite of the fact that your desertion of it has caused deep grief to all concerned. I find it inexplicable that you should not have communicated with your people before now."
"Perhaps I liked being dead."
"Being dead!"
"Anyhow you never did find me very explicable, did you?"
"Didn't I?"
"You thought it was because I was afraid that I cried, that day at Olympia, didn't you?"
"Olympia?"
"It wasn't you know. It was because the horses were so beautiful."
"Olympia! You mean…. But that was…. You remember, then — "
"I expect you'll let me know, Mr. Sandal, when you have checked my statements."
"What? Oh, yes; yes, certainly." Good heavens, even he himself had forgotten that children's party at the Tournament. Perhaps he had been altogether too cautious. If this young man-the owner of Latchetts-dear me! Perhaps he should not have been so —
"I hope you don't think — " he began.
But the young man was gone, letting himself out with cool decision and a brief nod to Mercer.
Mr. Sandal sat down in the inner office and mopped his brow.
And Brat, walking down the street, was shocked to find himself exhilarated. He had expected to be nervous and a little ashamed. And it had not been in the least like that. It had been one of the most exciting things he had ever done. A wonderful, tight-rope sort of thing. He had sat there and lied and not even been conscious that he was lying, it had been so thrilling. It was like riding a rogue; you had the same wary, strung-up feeling; the same satisfaction in avoiding an unexpected movement to destroy you. But nothing he had ever ridden had given him the mental excitement, the subsequent glow of achievement, that this had given him. He was drunk with it.
And greatly surprised.
So this, he thought, was what sent criminals back to their old Ways when there was no material need. This breathless, step-picking excitement; this subsequent intoxication of achievement.
He went to have tea, according to Loding's instructions; but he could not eat. He felt as if he had already had food and drink. No previous experience of his had had this oddly satisfying effect. Normally, after the exciting things of life-riding, love-making, rescue, close calls-he was ravenously hungry. But now he just sat and looked at the food in front of him in a daze of content. The glow inside him left no room for food.
No one had followed him into the restaurant, and no one seemed to be taking any interest in him.
He paid his bill and went out. No one was loitering anywhere; the pavement was one long stream of hurrying people. He went to a telephone at Victoria.
"Well?" said Loding. "How did it go?"
"Wonderful."
"Have you been drinking?"
"No. Why?"
"That is the first time I have ever heard you use a superlative."
"I'm just pleased."
"My God, you must be. Does it show?"
"Show?"
"Is there any faint change in that poker face of yours?"
"How should I know? Don't you want to know about this afternoon?"
"I already know the most important thing."
"What is that?"
"You haven't been given in charge."
"Did you expect me to be?"
"There was always the chance. But I didn't really expect it. Not with our combined intelligences."
"Thanks."
"Did the old boy fall on your neck?"
"No. He nearly fell over. He's being very correct."
"Everything to be verified."
"Yes."
"How did he receive you?"
"He took me for Simon."
He heard Loding's amused laughter.
"Did you manage to use his Tournament party?"
"Yes."
"Oh, my God, don't go monosyllabic on me. You didn't have to rake it up, did you?"
"No. It fitted very neatly."
"Was he impressed?"
"It had him on the ropes."
"It didn't convince him, though?"
"I didn't wait to see. I was on my way out."
"You mean, that was your exit line? My boy, I take off my hat to you. You're a perishing marvel. After living in your pocket for the last fortnight I thought I was beginning to know you. But you're still surprising me to death."