I dont know the details, butit is obviously
sixteenth century. I dont know the details, butit is obviously sixteenth
century.
They were mostly well-known men, and yet it looked
as ifCrome had taken their names out of a hat. Oh, no, answered Gahagan, rather with
the air of one about to goto sleep. Lady Crome was a tall and swift and graceful
person with asmall dark head. Pitt-Palmer, unaccountablytumbled down dead. It was a
select company; and yet it hardly seemed to have beenselected. Most of us naturally
sat like stone statues undersuch a thunder-bolt of a threat.
They were mostly well-known men, and yet it looked
as ifCrome had taken their names out of a hat. It was a select company; and yet it
hardly seemed to have beenselected. And, worse still, I received an invitationfrom
Lord Crome. Cromeknew it too, and grinned back at him like a demon. Because it would
be so very like a romance, retorted Wotton. That was why I nearly got hanged; and
why therewas a corpse in the house behind me. We always assume something that is
assumed in thefictional story; and it isnt true. It was not, I say, necessary for
Gahagan to tellthis story.
Oh, cried Wotton, with a deep breath, rather like a
schoolboy ata conjurers performance.
Got to look in at Whitehall and I fancy Im late
already. Hespeaks twenty-seven languages, including philosophical language. But why
should he be dead unless he was poisoned?
But its not my story; Im not thestory, but only the
introduction. No; Pond will tell you the solution, said Gahagan maliciously. Well,
you can swallow it; and at one timeI really had a fancy he might be a
conjurer.
Youve heard of a man seeing red; well, what Isaw
was dark red.