“And what manner of man may a new man be?” demanded Father Maloney.
Antony knitted his brows.
“Mr. Mortimer was a new man on Wednesday,” quoth he serious. “Mr. Elmore is the newest of all.”
“Ah!” said Father Maloney, his eyes twinkling, “now we see daylight. And what was this other new man doing in the park at all?”
“I think,” quoth Antony solemn, “he was trying to look at the Castle, but he didn’t want any one to see him. Least I don’t think he did.”
“Hum!” said Father Maloney. “What makes you think that?”
“’Cos,” said Antony calmly, “when I said ‘Hullo,’ he jumped an’ said ‘Great snakes!’ I told him,” he continued carefully, “that there weren’t any snakes in the park. Least not big ones anyway. An’ he said he hadn’t concluded there were. He’d said ‘Great snakes!’ ’cos I made him jump. S’pose it was same as Biddy says ‘Saints alive!’ an’ you say ‘Glory be to God!’”
Father Maloney looked down the table at Lady Mary. The glance was a trifle grim.
“Did he say anything else?” asked Lady Mary in a level voice.
“He asked me who I was. An’ I told him my name was Antony Joseph Delancey. An’ he said he reckoned I was the owner of the place. An’ I said no, it was Granny’s place now, but I was going to have it when I was a man. An’ he said, ‘Oh, you are, are you?’ An’ then he whistled.”