At this moment Hughie entered, and Miss Harbord's fire was diverted.
"Mr. Marrable, have you got rid of that cabman?" she enquired with truculence.
"Rather!" said Hughie. "He went like a lamb."
"He was intoxicated," remarked Miss Harbord freezingly.
"I didn't notice it," said Hughie. "He was quite tractable. Apparently you engaged him at Hyde Park Terrace and stopped at two shops on the way."
"That is correct."
"And you gave him one and threepence for a drive of over two miles and a stop of about ten minutes."
"His legal fare. We employed him for exactly half an hour."
"But did you tell him that you were engaging him by the hour?"
"Of course not! They simply crawl if you do. You might have known that, Mr. Marrable."