“I suppose you saw me get into the fly?” said Jan, with a certain curiosity in the incidence of his frustration.
“I couldn’t help seeing you. I had called for this myself, and was in the act of bringing it to you for your—splitting head!”
Haigh had produced an obvious medicine bottle sealed up in white paper. Jan could not resent his sneer.
“I’m sorry you had the trouble, sir. There was nothing the matter with my head.”
“And you can stand there——”
Haigh did not finish his sentence, except by dashing the medicine bottle to the ground in his disgust, so that it broke even in that rank grass, and its contents soaked the smooth white paper. This was the old Adam, but only for a moment. Jan could almost have done with more of him.
“I know what you must think of me, sir,” he said. “I had to meet a blackmailer at his own time and place. But that’s no excuse for me.”
“I’m glad you don’t make it one, I must say! I was going on to tell you that I followed the fly, only naturally, as I think you’ll agree. But it wasn’t my fault you didn’t hear me in the wood before you saw me, Rutter. I made noise enough, but you were so taken up with your—boon companion!”
Jan resented that; but he had made up his mind not even to start the dangerous game of self-defence.
“He exaggerated that part of it,” was all that Jan said, dryly.