‘Early in the morning, I suppose?’
‘Yes—pretty early—about two o’clock, I think.’
‘And you never saw him after that?’
‘Not a sight of him,’ replied Barty; ‘but, I say, why all this thusness?’
‘I’ll tell you after you have answered my questions,’ retorted Slivers, rudely, ‘but I’m not asking out of curiosity—its business.’
Barty thought that Slivers was very peculiar, but determined to humour him, and to take his leave as early as possible.
‘Well, go on,’ he said, drinking his whisky, ‘I’ll answer.’
‘Who else was with you and Villiers on that night?’ asked Slivers in a magisterial kind of manner.
‘A French fellow called Vandeloup.’
‘Vandeloup!’ echoed Slivers in surprise; ‘oh, indeed! what the devil was he doing?’