“I don’t know in the least. But there’s no harm in trying, is there?”
He walked to the middle of the room and turned slowly about, letting the picture sink into his brain. When he had made the complete circuit, he sat on the edge of the table and shut his eyes.
Alec watched him interestedly. “Any luck?” he asked, after a couple of minutes’ silence.
Roger opened his eyes. “No,” he admitted, a little ruefully. It is always disappointing after such carefully staged preparations to find that one’s pet trick has failed to work. Roger felt not unlike a conjuror who had not succeeded in producing the rabbit from the top-hat.
“Ah!” observed Alec noncommittally.
“I can’t see anything different,” said Roger, almost apologetically.
“Ah!” Alec remarked again. “Then I suppose that means that nothing is different?” he suggested helpfully.
“I suppose so,” Roger admitted.
“Now are you going to tell me that this is really devilish significant?” Alec grinned. “Because if you do, I warn you that I shan’t believe you. It’s exactly what I expected. I told you you were making too much fuss about a lot of trifles.”
“Shut up!” Roger snapped from the edge of the table. “I’m thinking.”