‘I asked him that. He said he was suddenly sick of the whole thing. And he added,’ Alleyn said with a curious twist in his voice, ‘that he thought it would work out better that way for William Shakespeare, Mr Peregrine Jay and The Dolphin.’

He saw then that the eyes of all the company had filled with tears.

When they had gone he turned back to Mr Conducis.

‘You said, sir, that you had something you wished to tell me.’

‘I have something I wish to ask you. Has he said anything about me?’

‘A little. He said you owed each other nothing.’

‘I will pay for his defence. Let him know that.’

‘Very well.’

‘Anything else?’

‘He said that as far as he is concerned – this was his phrase – he would keep the glove over his knuckles and I could tell you so. He asked me to give you this.’

Alleyn gave Mr Conducis an envelope. He was about to put it in his pocket but changed his mind, opened it and read the short message it contained. He held out the paper to Alleyn.

‘It seems,’ Alleyn read, ‘that we are both victims of irresistible impulse. Which leads me to the ludicrous notion that you will, as they say, “understand”. You needn’t worry. I’m bored with it all and intend to drop it.’

Down below someone whistled, crossed the foyer and slammed the front doors. The Dolphin was very quiet.

‘He clung to the raft,’ said Mr Conducis, ‘and tried to climb aboard it. He would have overturned it. I smashed his knuckles with the writing-desk and thought I’d drowned him. His hands were gloved. They curled and opened and slid away in their own blood. Nobody saw. He has blackmailed me ever since.’

II

‘They are not cancelling,’ said Winter Morris, giving the box-office plans a smart slap. ‘And there’s very little publicity. I can’t understand it.’

‘Could it be the hand of Conducis?’

‘Could be, dear boy. Could be. Power,’ said little Morris, ‘corrupts didn’t somebody say? It may do: but it comes in handy, dear boy, it comes in handy.’

He ran upstairs to his office and could be heard singing.

‘All the same,’ Peregrine said to Emily, ‘I hope it’s not the hand of Conducis. I hope it’s The Dolphin. And us. You know,’ he went on, ‘I’m sure he stayed behind to unburden himself to Alleyn.’

‘What of?’

‘Who can tell! I’ve got a feeling it was something to do with his yacht. He’s behaved so very oddly whenever it came up.’

‘Perhaps,’ Emily speculated idly, ‘you reminded him of it. That morning.’

‘I? How?’

‘Oh,’ she said vaguely, ‘people drowning, you know, or nearly drowning, or hanging on to bits of wreckage. Perhaps he was glad he rescued you. Or something.’

‘You never know,’ Peregrine said.