He sat down to the piano and began to play softly the Castle motive from the Nibelung's Ring. He kept repeating it in different keys.
'What about the mumps, wife?' he asked Mrs Brindley, who had been out of the room and now returned.
'Oh! I don't think it is mumps,' she replied. 'They're all asleep.'
'Good!' he murmured, still playing the Castle motive.
'Talking of Simon Fuge,' I said determined to satisfy my curiosity, 'who WERE the two sisters?'
'What two sisters?'
'That he spent the night in the boat with, on Ilam Lake.'
'Was that in the Gazette? I didn't read all the article.'
He changed abruptly into the Sword motive, which he gave with a violent flourish, and then he left the piano. 'I do beg you not to wake my children,' said his wife.
'Your children must get used to my piano,' said he. 'Now, then, what about these two sisters?'