“Do you hear from him regularly?”
“Oh, no; the mails are so irregular from that part of the world.”
“How often?”
“Well,” said Junior, with his engaging smile, “not so often as I’d like, of course. But then he’s a very busy man.”
“That story about the python—it sounded like a corker as Blackie told it secondhand. Mind letting me read that letter?”
“Sorry, sir. I destroyed it.” Blackie would vouch for that, if necessary.
“I see.” The head master looked at Junior in silence, then he said with a not unkind smile. “Junior, I’m very fond of your father. He’s one of the finest fellows that ever lived.”
“Sure,” said Junior.
“I’ve known him longer than you have. I don’t think he ever did anything dishonourable in his life.”
“Of course not.”