“Oh, we’ll settle that in the Hall,” smiled Alberta. “Come along, Mr. Bannerlee.”
“But I want him here,” objected Crofts. “We’re going to examine the servants.”
“You really want me?” I exclaimed. “But I don’t know your servants—haven’t seen but four of ’em yet.”
“That’s just it,” he explained. “I want someone to be here who can get a good unprejudiced impression of how they behave.”
“Well, if I can assist—”
“But have you asked Mr. Bannerlee if he wants to stay and listen to the silly—”
Crofts besought me. “Oh, come, Bannerlee, you know as much as Doctor Aire does about magic—you with your antiquities.”
“On the contrary, it is one of the fields where I have done very little spading, but—”
“There, see,” smiled Alberta.
“But I was going to say that this interrogation of yours sounds particularly interesting. I’ll stay, if you don’t mind, Alberta.”