‘Well, he was a little too fond of liquor and the ladies.’
‘Have you known him long?’
‘Yes, several years. I first met him in Madras. I saw a good deal of him later in Calcutta. He was a very wild boy then, I can tell you.’
‘But still no worse than tens of thousands of other people?’ I suggested.
‘Oh no; I don’t say he was,’ Jarvis answered quickly, and in a way that suggested he was anxious his friend should not be painted too black.
‘Now, I want you to tell me this, Captain Jarvis,’ I said somewhat solemnly, as I wished to impress him with the importance of the question: ‘was there any love-making between Raymond Balfour and Maggie Stiven?’
The skipper did not answer immediately. He seemed to be revolving the matter in his mind. Then, with a thoughtful stroking of his chin, he replied:
‘Balfour was fond of Maggie.’
‘Did he allow that fondness to display itself before others?’
‘When he was a bit gone in his cups he did,’ answered the captain, with obvious reluctance.