"We don't want any of your insolence, my man! Answer the governor's question if you don't want to be severely punished. Do you know who has been playing hanky-panky with the cells?"
"Spirits of the air."
As he said this Mankell inclined his head and looked at the Major with laughter in his eyes.
"Spirits of the air! What the devil do you mean by spirits of the air?"
"Ah! what do I mean? To tell you that," laying a stress upon the pronoun, "would take a year."
"The fellow's an insolent scoundrel," spluttered the Major.
"Come, Mankell, that won't do," struck in Mr. Paley. "Do I understand you to say that you do know something about the matter?"
"Know!" The man drew himself up, laying the index finger of his right hand upon the table with a curiously impressive air. "What is there that I do not know?"
"I see. You still pretend, then, to the possession of magic powers?"
"Pretend!" Mankell laughed. He stretched out his hands in front of him with what seemed to be his favourite gesture, and laughed--in the face of the authorities.