“I’d believe that,” said Dr. Kantripp rather defiantly, “before I’d believe one of the Lampreys did it.”
“How would you describe the Lampreys?” asked Alleyn abruptly.
“You’ve met them.”
“I know. But to some one who hadn’t met them. Suppose you had to find a string of appropriate adjectives for the Lampreys, what would they be? Charming, of course. What else?”
“What the devil does it matter how I describe them?”
“I should like to hear, however.”
“Good Lord! Well, amusing, and ah — well ah—”
“Upright?” suggested Alleyn. “Businesslike? Scrupulous? Reliable? Any of those jump to the mind?”
“They’re kind,” said Dr. Kantripp, turning rather red. ”They’re extremely good-natured. They wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Never do anybody any sort of injury?”