I turned then and left the room.
CHAPTER FOUR
The Room of the Past
I shut the door behind me and stood undecided for a moment in the passage. Manack was talking. But his voice came to me as an unintelligible drone through the thick oak. The passage was a pool of lamplight fading into dark shadows. The chill of it struck through me, reminding me of my wet clothes. I shivered. What the hell was I going to do now? I could, of course, walk right out of the house. There was nothing to stop me — nothing at all — except that I was a deserter. I felt bitter and angry and helpless. Manack was dangerous; far more dangerous than Mulligan. That talk about implicating me with the affair of the revenue cutter — he'd meant that. Those eyes of his and the wild look he'd had. That was nerves. He was the sort of man who lived on his nerves. He was like a man walking a tight-rope. That was it — a man walking a criminal tight-rope. That sort would take any risk.
Through the oak door I heard Mulligan's voice on a higher note. Then Manack's voice cut in, sharp and peremptory. I was shivering and my teeth chattered. I couldn't hear what they were saying. Irresolutely I set off down the passage to the kitchen. I'd feel better with dry clothes and some food inside me. The thought of food brought the juices up under my tongue. I hadn't eaten all day. Time enough when I'd eaten to decide what I was going to do.
When I opened the kitchen door the girl was still at her ironing. She looked up and smiled. It was a slow, friendly smile. I went over to the fire. The smell from the pots was good. 'What time do you feed?' I asked.
She glanced at the alarm clock on the mantelpiece. It was just after eight-thirty. 'About nine,' she said. 'We're late tonight. I'll show you your room afterwards. It's being got ready now. Have you any things?'
'No,' I said. I had got myself right in front of the fire and my clothes were beginning to steam.
'Well, I'm afraid you won't be able to borrow any pyjamas,'
She was looking straight at me. 'You're a bit larger than any of the men in this house except Mr Manack, and he wears a nightshirt.' Then she noticed the steam rising from my clothes.