'Yes,' I answered, 'but he left the service when he came home from India, four or five years ago. He came into a lot of money, you see.'
'And Captain Knowlton was your guardian?' he asked, fixing his eyeglass.
'Not exactly an ordinary guardian,' I explained. 'My father was a soldier too, and Captain Knowlton said he saved his life, and that was why he looked after me.'
After I had told him all about Mr. Parsons, he rose and went to the room where I had first seen him, calling me to follow. I shut the door when Mrs. Westlake had entered, and Mr. Westlake stood lighting a cigar.
'Upon my word,' he said, in his slightly drawling voice, 'there seems to be only one thing that is possible to be done with you for the present, Everard.'
'What is that?' I asked, with considerable misgiving.
'Naturally,' he continued, 'I shall write to Major Ruston and explain the exact circumstances in which Mrs. Westlake found you, and I have no doubt that when he hears what I shall tell him, he will make some sort of arrangement for your future.'
'But it will take a long time to get an answer.'
'No doubt, but you seem to be placed in a very awkward position. As far as I can understand, Captain Knowlton had every intention of looking after you if he had lived——'
'Oh, yes!' I cried, 'because he told me I was to go to Sandhurst.'