"Only it happens to be true," said Stephen.
"Really, Stephen! I hope I'm as fond of a joke as anyone, but is this quite the time, my boy?"
The Inspector, who had been watching Mottisfont, said: "I don't want to interrupt you gentlemen, but perhaps we'd all of us get along better if I made it plain that I'm not at the moment interested in gun-running, which is what I thought this "China business" of yours might be, Mr. Mottisfont."
Stephen found Mottisfont's expression of mingled relief and uncertainty comic, and began to laugh. Joseph flung up a hand. "Stephen, please! Edgar, is this thing possible?"
"Good heavens, Joseph, there's nothing to be so tragic about!" said Mottisfont, "A great many people consider that we are making a criminal mistake not to allow the shipment of arms to China!"
"But it's illegal!" said Joseph, quite horrified. "You mean to say you wanted to engage in an illegal business?"
"Was engaged in it. Is engaged in it," said Stephen. "Lucrative pursuit, gun-running."
"You seem to know a lot about it," said the Inspector.
"Not me, no. Only what my uncle told me. You have Mr. Mottisfont's word for it that I have nothing to do with the management of the firm."
"Well, it is a lucrative business," said Mottisfont, with sudden candour. "Of course, it's frowned on by the authorities, but we needn't go into that now. There are always two ways of looking at a thing, and I'm not at all ashamed of selling arms to China. What's more, Nat would soon have come round to my point of view."