“Everybody seems to have gone out,” said the slender young man in a very pleasant voice. “What can I do for you?”
“You have a room to let,” said Sargon.
“There is a room to let here, yes,” said the slender young man and his appreciative dark eyes took in the details of the figure in front of him.
“Could I see it?”
“I suppose he might see it, Susan,” the young man hesitated.
“Of course the gem’s got to see it,” said the small girl. “If Mrs. Richman was here she’d show it him fast enough, old stoopid.” And she pulled the slender young man’s hair—affectionately but very, very hard.
“You see,” the young man explained. “The landlady is out. Don’t, Susan. And the landlady’s lady assistant is out, too. Every one is out—and we’re sort of unofficially left in charge somehow. Properly, I ought not to have answered the door.”
“But I told you to—silly!” said the little girl.
The young man made no definite move. Instead, he asked a question. “Is that a map, sir, you are carrying?” he asked.
“It is a map of the world,” said Sargon.