“Every man has his limitations,” he said. “I did the best I could. But the Rajah knew very well what he was about—otherwise there would have been no telegram.”
Winton sent the Chinaman out for another cup of tea before he said, “Did Miss Carteret come here alone?”
“Oh, no; Calvert came with her.”
“What brought them here?”
Adams spread his hands.
“What makes any woman do precisely the most unexpected thing?”
Winton was silent for a moment. Finally he said: “I hope you did what you could to make it pleasant for her.”
“I did. And I didn't hear her complain.”
“That was low-down in you, Morty.”
Adams chuckled reminiscently. “Had to do it to make my day-before-yesterday lie hold water. And she was immensely taken with the scrawls, especially with one of them.”