“And the chances are that if he wants to captain the side the other fellows in Seymour’s will have something to say about it.”
“I suppose they want to play us because we’re the strongest house and they rather fancy their weight.”
“One would imagine that was the idea. Only neither Betteridge nor Saville seems to know much about it.”
Rouse suddenly leaned forward.
“Nick,” said he, “there’s villainy afoot.”
“Villainy?”
“Yes. I don’t know what that means. It’s a phrase of Henry’s concoction. We might get hold of a cheap dictionary and get an interpretation of the words.... Anyway, that’s what he says—and it’s impossible to listen to Henry for long without coming to the conclusion that there’s something in what he says.”
“What is the villainy?”
“Henry is now out on the trail trying to find out. But his judgment arises from a variety of facts and certain suspicions.”
He paused and for a while there was silence.