“Probably by this time he is quite happy again. Have you any idea what kind of thing she—Mrs. Lambert—means, about cheating at games?”
Rose coloured, but faced the doctor unflinchingly as ever.
“Oh, yes. Ces got into trouble about it at Squires once or twice. He isn’t always straight about games, round games, or anything like that, you know, with counters—I’ve seen him shove his counter along with his hand when he thought no one was looking, and the worst of it is that he doesn’t own up when he’s taxed with it. And the same at card games. That wretched little Miss Wade played Beggar-my-Neighbour, or something, with him, and swore he used to peep at the cards. I think she was probably right.”
“When you say that he doesn’t own up,” said Lucian, in his most impersonal and judicial manner, “do you mean that he flatly denies any accusation of cheating?”
“That’s it.”
“When did you first notice anything of that kind?”
“A long time ago, when he was very small, in Ceylon. But I thought then that it was his native ayah’s fault, and it didn’t seem to matter so much. Jim never found it out. He’d have been very angry if he had.”
“I daresay. Was Cecil frightened of his father?”
“Sometimes, but he’s not a cowardly child, you know. When Jim had been drinking, he used to get angry sometimes, but not often with Ces.”
“Was it fear of Jim that made Cecil say what wasn’t true?”