“Your watch-dog here won’t let me pass,” said Oliphant with a smile as Tom came up. “I told him I was a neighbour, but he thinks I’m a bad lot. We’ve only just come to the place; my father has taken it, you know; he’s coming down for shooting as soon as Parliament’s up. I saw your aeroplane skylarking round, and couldn’t resist the temptation to come over for a nearer look. You don’t mind?”
“Well—no.” Tom’s tone was dubious.
“Oh, if you’d rather not, of course!”
“No, I don’t mind really. But Mr. Greatorex is rather particular about keeping the matter quiet——”
“I’ll be mum as the dead, I assure you. I don’t know anything about machinery; it isn’t in our line at Eton; you needn’t be afraid of my giving the secret away.”
“It isn’t that, exactly. I’m not afraid of your discovering the secret of the machine; but it’s rather important that the fact of its existence shouldn’t leak out just yet.”
“Well, you’ll have to make friends with my sister then. She has seen it too. It’s lucky Mother is in town, or the secret would be out by this time.”
They were walking now side by side to the shed.
“You’re not Mr. Greatorex’s son, then?”