"Thank you, sir." Mr. Flinders selected the straightest chair he could see, and sat down on the edge of it. "Well, sir, it's like this. After what you told me about that furrin chap - that Dooval - I give the matter a lot of thought, and I come to the conclusion the best thing I could do was to watch him as much as I could, without losing sight of Mr. Titmarsh. And I can tell you, sir, he's one man's work, he is. I lorst him again the other night, and it's my belief he gave me the slip on purpose. Well, sir, this very evening when I was trailing Mr. Titmarsh, who should I see but this Dooval?"
"Where?" Charles said.
"Right here, sir. That is, up by the ruin, me being on the right-of-way at the time, wondering where that old -where Mr. Titmarsh had got to. I don't mind telling you, sir, that it gave me quite a turn, seeing him. "My Gawd!" I says to myself. "Is that the Monk?" Then I got my lamp on to him, and I see who it was. I called out to him, but before you could say "knife" he'd done a bunk, sir. Scared out of his life, he was. So I thought the best thing I could do, seeing as I was so handy, was to come right up on to the house and tell you."
"Quite right," Charles said. He turned, as Margaret, who had slipped out of the room a minute or two before, came back with a tray. "Good idea, Margaret," he approved. "You'll have a glass of beer, after your labours, Flinders?" He got up and unscrewed the top of the bottle. It made a pleasant hissing sound. The constable watched the golden liquid froth into the glass, and his eye glistened. Charles held out the glass.
"Not supposed to take anything when we're on duty, you know, sir," the constable said, accepting it.
Charles poured out two more glasses. "You can't be on duty at this time of night," he said.
"Well, sir, since you make a point of it," said Mr. Flinders, and raised the glass. "Here's your very good health, sir."
"Same to you," said Charles.
Celia spoke. "Charles, you must tell this French person you will not have him wandering about in our grounds. Really, it's a bit too thick! Apparently the whole countryside regards this place as common land. I won't put up with it any longer!"
"What can he be doing here, anyway?" Margaret wondered.