“Don’t you understand yet?� asked Hood with a smile. “Don’t you know who was the rival with a long nose?�
He paused a moment and then continued, “It occurred to me as soon as I had guessed at the nature of the nose which may certainly be called the main feature of the story. An elusive, flexible and insinuating nose, the serpent of their Eden. Well, they seem to have returned to their Eden now; and I have no doubt it will be all right; for it is when people are separated that these sort of secrets spring up between them. After all, it was a mystery to us and we cannot be surprised if it was a mystery to her.�
“A good deal of this is still rather a mystery to me,� remarked Pierce, “though I admit it is getting a little clearer. You mean that the point that has just been cleared up is——�
“The point about Snowdrop,� replied Hood. “We thought of a pony, and a monkey, and a baby, and a good many other things that Snowdrop might possibly be. But we never thought of the interpretation which was the first to occur to the lady.�
There was a silence, and then Crane laughed in an internal fashion.
“Well, I don’t blame her,� he said. “One could hardly expect a lady of any delicacy to deduce an elephant.�
“It’s an extraordinary business, when you come to think of it,� said Pierce. “Where did he get the elephant?�
“He says something about that too,� said Hood referring to the letter. “He says, ‘I may be a quarrelsome fellow. But quarrels sometimes do good. And though it wasn’t actually one of Captain Pierce’s caravans——’�
“No hang it all!� cried Pierce. “This is really too much! To see one’s own name entangled in such hieroglyphics—it reminds me of seeing it in a Dutch paper during the war; and wondering whether all the other words were terms of abuse.�
“I think I can explain,� answered Hood patiently. “I assure you the reverend gentleman is not taking liberties with your name in a merely irresponsible spirit. As I told you before, he is strictly truthful when you get at the facts, though they may be difficult to get at. Curiously enough, there really is a connexion. I sometimes think there is a connexion beyond coincidence running through all our adventures; a purpose in these unconscious practical jokes. It seems rather eccentric to make friends with a white elephant——�