He arched his hand over his eyes and on Coombe Head could make out the shape of canvas and easel with Cubitt’s figure moving to and fro, and beyond a tiny dot which must be Sebastian Parish’s head. Watchman left the road, climbed the clay bank, circled a clump of furze and beneath a hillock from where he could see the entrance to the tunnel, he lay full length on the short turf. With the cessation of his own movement the quiet of the countryside engulfed him. At first the silence seemed complete, but after a moment or two the small noises of earth, and sky welled up into his consciousness. A lark sang above his head with a note so high that it impinged upon the outer borders of hearing and at times soared into nothingness. When he turned and laid his ear to the earth it throbbed with the far-away thud of surf against Coombe Rock, and when his fingers moved in the grass it was with a crisp stirring sound. He began to listen intently, lying so still that no movement of his body could come between his senses and more distant sound. He closed his eyes and to an observer he would have seemed to sleep. Indeed his face bore that look of inscrutability which links sleep in our minds with death. But he was not asleep. He was listening: and presently his ears caught a new rhythm, a faint hollow beat. Someone was coming up through the tunnel.

Watchman looked through his eyelashes and saw Decima Moore step into the sunlight. He remained still, while she mounted the bank to the cliff path. She rounded the furze-bush and was almost upon him before she saw him. She stood motionless.

‘Well, Decima,’ said Watchman and opened his eyes.

‘You startled me,’ she said.

‘I should leap to my feet, shouldn’t I? And apologize?’

‘You needn’t trouble. I’m sorry I disturbed you. Goodbye.’

She moved forward.

Watchman said: ‘Wait a moment, Decima.’

She hesitated. Watchman reached out a hand and seized her ankle.

‘Don’t do that,’ said Decima. ‘It makes us both look silly. I’m in no mood for dalliance.’

‘Please say you’ll wait a moment and I’ll behave like a perfect little gent. I’ve something serious to say to you.’

‘I don’t believe it.’

‘I promise you. Of the first importance. Please.’

‘Very well,’ said Decima.

He released her and scrambled to his feet.

‘Well, what is it?’ asked Decima.

‘It’ll take a moment or two. Do sit down and smoke a cigarette. Or shall I walk some of the way with you?’

She shot a glance at the distant figures on Coombe Head and then looked at him. She seemed ill at ease, half-defiant, half-curious.

‘We may as well get it over,’ she said.

‘Splendid. Sit down now, do. If we stand here, we’re in full view of anybody entering or leaving Ottercombe, and I don’t want to be interrupted. No, I’ve no discreditable motive. Come now.’