“I don’t know!” cried Captain Douglas.
“Yes, but—!” said the Professor, protesting against the unreasonableness of mankind.
“I’d had a word or two with him in the train. Nothing to speak of. About occupying two corner seats—always strikes me as a cad’s trick—but on my honour I didn’t rub it in. And then he got it into his head we were laughing at him at dinner—we were a bit, but only the sort of thing one says about anyone—way he works his eyebrows and all that—and then he thought I was ragging him.... I don’t rag people. Got it so strongly he made a row that night. Said I’d made a ghost slap him on his back. Hang it!—what can you say to a thing like that? In my room all the time.”
“You suffer for the sins of your brother,” said Mrs. Bowles.
“Heavens!” cried the captain, “I never thought of that! Perhaps he mistook me....”
He reflected for a moment and continued his narrative. “Then in the night, you know, he heard noises.”
“They always do,” said the Professor nodding confirmation.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“A sure sign,” said the Professor.
“And finally he sallied out in the early morning, caught the butler in one of the secret passages—”