"Well, I confess I do not understand it."
"Then," said Chivey, getting quite cheerful as he warmed into the matter, "I think your English education has been very seriously neglected, that's what I think."
"Possibly," said the Spaniard. "I only learnt your tongue as a student, and am not well grounded in slang."
"More's the pity."
There was a spice of contempt in Chivey's tone which appeared rather to aggravate Señor Velasquez.
"You are too clever, Mr. Chivey," said he, "far too clever. Now you want to keep your secret, and I shall guess that your secret concerns——"
He paused.
"Who?" asked Chivey.
"The young man whose letters you employed me to intercept."
The tiger looked alarmed.