‘It’s a terrible affair, sir, isn’t it? Was the deceased a friend of yours, may I ask?’

‘No, no. It’s not that. For it to happen to anyone!’

‘Quite so. You must have seen him, I suppose, after you left the hall.’

Gaunt took out his cigarette case and offered it to Webley, who said he didn’t smoke. Dikon saw a tremor in Gaunt’s hand and lit his cigarette for him. Gaunt made rather a business of this, and as they were at it, said something not so much in a whisper as with an almost soundless articulation of tongue and teeth. Dikon thought it was: ‘I’ve got to get out of it.’

‘I was saying—’ said Webley heavily, and repeated his question.

Gaunt said that as far as he could remember he had caught a glimpse of Questing outside the hall. He wasn’t positive. Webley kept him to this point and he grew restive. At last he broke off and drew his chair closer to Webley.

‘Look here,’ he said. ‘I’ve honestly told you all I know about this poor fellow. I want you to understand something. I’m an actor and an immensely well-known one. Things that happen to me are news, quite big news, at home and in the States. Bell, as my secretary, will tell you how tremendously careful I have to be. The sort of things that are said about me in print matter enormously. It may sound farfetched, but I assure you it is not, when I tell you that a few sentences in the hot-news columns, linking my name up with this accident, would be exactly the wrong kind of publicity. We don’t know much about this unfortunate man but I’ve heard rumours that he wasn’t an altogether savoury character. That may come out, mayn’t it? We’ll get hints about it. “Mystery man dies horribly after hearing Geoffrey Gaunt recite at one-eyed burg in New Zealand.” That’s how the hot-columnists will treat it.’

‘We don’t get much of that sort of thing in this country, Mr Gaunt.’

‘Good Lord, man, I’m not talking about this country. As far as I’m concerned this country doesn’t exist. I’m talking of New York.’

‘Oh,’ said Mr Webley impassively.

‘See here,’ said Gaunt, ‘I know you’ve got your job to do. If there’s anything more you want to ask, why, ask it. Ask it now. But for God’s sake don’t keep me hanging on here. I can’t invite you to come out and have a drink with me but—’

Dikon, appalled, saw Gaunt’s hand go to the inside pocket of his coat. He got behind Webley and shook his head violently, but Gaunt’s note case was now in his hand and Webley on his feet.