‘Only that he is a reasonably good actor, Marco,’ Peregrine said. ‘Don’t let’s start any anti-Grove thing. For your information, and I’d be terribly grateful if you’d treat this as strictly – very strictly, Marco – between ourselves, I’ve had no hand in this piece of casting. It was done at the desire of the Management. They have been generous to a degree in every other aspect and even if I’d wanted to I couldn’t have opposed them.’

‘You had this person thrust upon you?’

‘If you’d like to put it that way.’

‘You should have refused.’

‘I had no valid reason for doing so. It is a good piece of casting. I beg you, Marco, not to raise a rumpus at the outset. Time enough when anything else happens to justify it.’

For a moment he wondered if Knight was going to produce a temperament then and there and throw in his part. But Peregrine felt sure Knight had a great desire to play Will Shakespeare and although, in the shadowy passage, he could see the danger signal of mounting purple in the oval face, the usual outburst did not follow this phenomenon.

Instead Knight said: ‘Listen. You think I am unreasonable. Allow me to tell you, Perry – ’

‘I don’t want to listen to gossip, Marco.’

‘Gossip! My God! Anyone who accuses me of gossip does me an injury I won’t stomach. Gossip! Let me tell you I know for a fact that Harry Grove – ’ The carpet was heavy and they had heard no sound of an approach. The worst would have happened if Peregrine had not seen a shadow move across the gilt panelling. He closed his hand round Knight’s arm and stopped him.

‘What are you two up to, may I ask?’ said Harry Grove. ‘Scandalmongering?’

He had a light, bantering way with him and a boldish stare that was somehow very far from being offensive. Perry,’ he said, ‘this is an enchanting theatre. I want to explore, I want to see everything. Why don’t we have a baccanal and go in Doric procession through and about the house, tossing down great bumbers of champagne and chanting some madly improper hymn? Led, of course, by our great, great star. Or should it be by Mr and Mrs Greensleeves?’

He made his preposterous suggestion so quaintly that in spite of himself and out of sheer nerves, Peregrine burst out laughing. Knight said, ‘Excuse me,’ with a good deal of ostentation and walked off.

‘“It is offended,”’ Grove said. ‘“See, it stalks away.” It dislikes me, you know. Intensely.’

‘In that case don’t exasperate it, Harry.’

‘Me? You think better not? Rather tempting though, I must say. Still, you’re quite right, of course. Apart from everything else, I can’t afford to. Mr Greengage might give me the sack,’ Grove said with one of his bold looks at Peregrine.