“And a very good thing to say, too. Well?”
“ ‘Oh, ’im?’ she says. ‘’E’s the cook’s brother,’ she says. ‘I was interjuiced to ’im at Helchester the other day,’ she says. ‘At least, she says ’e’s ’er brother,’ she says.” A strange rasping noise in his throat appeared to indicate that William was amused. “ ‘At least, she says ’e’s ’er brother,’ she says,” he repeated with much enjoyment.
“Oh!” Roger exclaimed, somewhat dashed. “Oh, did she? And did you see him again, William?”
“That I did. Back ’e come nigh on a quarter of a hower later, an’ cook with ’im, a-hangin’ on ’is arm like what she ought to have known better not to ’ave done,” William rejoined, suddenly stern. “I don’t ’old with it meself, I don’t,” added this severe moralist. “Not at ’er age, I don’t.” His expression relaxed reminiscently. “ ‘At least, she says ’e’s ’er brother,’ she says,” he added, with a sudden rasp.
“I see,” said Roger. “Thank you, William. Well, I suppose we mustn’t interrupt you any more. Come on, Alec.”
Slowly and sadly they made their way back to the house.
“William got his own back then, if he only knew it,” Roger said with a wry smile. “I did think for a moment that we might be getting at something at last.”
“You really are a hell of an optimist, Roger,” Alec observed wonderingly.
Their path took them past the library, and as they reached the bed in which the footprints had been discovered Roger instinctively paused. The next moment he darted forward and stared with incredulous eyes at the bed.
“Good Lord!” he exclaimed, clutching Alec’s arm and pointing with an excited finger. “Look! They’ve gone, both of them! They’ve been smoothed out!”