“Yes, we were at school together for a time.”
Geoffrey stared, and then exclaimed spontaneously:
“You used to be able to wag your ears.”
“Can still.”
“Why, you are Skinny McVay.”
The man nodded. Neither was without a sense of humour, and yet saw nothing comic in these untender reminiscences.
“I remember the masters all hated you,” said Geoffrey, “but you were straight enough then, weren’t you?”
Again the man nodded. “I took to this sort of thing a month or so ago.”
After a moment Geoffrey said:
“Did not I hear you were in the navy?”