“Shall I signal the police, sir?” asked the evil-looking little steward.
“Is this the man who accused me?” Clement asked sharply, and as the captain nodded, “What’s the reason behind this charge?” he demanded cuttingly of the fellow.
“Reason b’ind it?” snarled the man. “Ain’t no reason be’ind it. It’s just that when Mrs. Smot said she lorst ’er dimend terara, well I recalled or recollected I’d seen you ’angin’ about suspicious like, comin’ out of ’er cabin where an’ when you ’ad no right to be there.”
“And how is it you saw me come out of this lady’s cabin?”
“’Ow! ’Ow! Strewth, ain’t I ’er cabin steward?”
“Oh, you’re her cabin steward. You’re the one who has the entré to her cabin. What’s the record of this man, Heavy?” Seadon rapped out the sentences with a fighting air, obviously trying to parry suspicion.
“Don’t know,” answered Heavy, who was feeling that it was rather stupid of Seadon to act like this, when a search, distasteful though it might be, would clear him at once. “Don’t know. He only signed on this voyage; we don’t know anything about him.”
“If you think you c’n switch it off ter me,” said the steward with an evil grin, “lemme tell you I don’t mind being searched, anyhow.”
“Oh!” said Clement, catching his breath.
“Yes,” said the lady acidly. “I don’t see why any man, if he is innocent, should object to being searched.”