“No, Sir Francis.”
“Do you mean to tell me, sir, that you did not go down to join that man?”
“I did go down to join him, Sir Francis,” I replied. “I saw him asleep and tipsy in among the black currants and I left him there, and took this key to-night to wake him up and let him out by the gate in the wall.”
“Why not through the coach-yard?”
“Because I was afraid he would meet Mr Solomon Brownsmith, and get into disgrace for drinking.”
“Thankye, Mars Grant, thankye kindly,” said Ike.
“Silence!”
Plop!
“A nice tale?” said Sir Francis. “We are getting to the bottom of a pretty state of things.”
Just then I saw Courtenay look at Philip as if he were uneasy. Then I glanced at Sir Francis and saw him gnawing at his moustache.