Fox, completely at his ease, stood like a rock in the middle of the room. He appeared to be lost in a mild abstraction, but he could have gone away and described the library with the accuracy of an expert far-gone in Pelmanism.

The door opened and Carrados came in. Alleyn found himself unaccountably reminded of bereaved royalty. Sir Herbert limped rather more perceptibly than usual and employed a black stick. He paused, screwed his glass in his eye, and said:

‘Mr Alleyn?’

Alleyn stepped forward and bowed.

‘It is extremely kind of you to see us, sir,’ he said.

‘No, no,’ said Carrados, ‘one must do one’s duty however hard one is hit. One has to keep a stiff upper lip. I was talking to your chief commissioner just now, Mr Alleyn. He happens to be a very old friend of mine—er—won’t you sit down both of you? Mr—er—?’

‘This is Inspector Fox, sir.’

‘Oh, yes,’ said Carrados, extending his hand. ‘Do sit down, Fox. Yes—’ he turned again to Alleyn when they were all seated. ‘Your CO tells me you are a son of another old friend. I knew your mother very well years ago and she sees quite a lot of my wife, I believe. She was at Marsdon House last night.’ He placed his hand over his eyes and repeated in an irritating whisper: ‘At Marsdon House. Ah, well!’

Alleyn said: ‘We are very sorry indeed, sir, to bother you after what has happened. This tragedy has been a great shock to you, I’m afraid.’

Carrados gave him an injured smile.

‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I cannot pretend that it has not. Lord Robert was one of our dearest friends. Not only have we a great sense of personal bereavement but I cannot help thinking that my hospitality has been cruelly abused.’

This reduction of homicide to terms of the social amenities left Alleyn speechless. Sir Herbert appeared to regard murder as a sort of inexcusable faux pas.

‘I suppose,’ he continued, ‘that you have come here armed with a list of questions. If that is so I am afraid you are doomed to disappointment. I am a simple soldier-man, Mr Alleyn, and this sort of thing is quite beyond my understanding. I may say that ever since this morning we have been pestered by a crew of insolent young pups from Fleet Street. I have been forced to ask Scotland Yard, where I believe my name is not unknown, if we had no redress from this sort of damnable persecution. I talked about it to your chief who, as I think I told you, is a personal friend of mine. He agrees with me that the behaviour of journalists nowadays is intolerable.’

‘I am sorry you have been badgered,’ said Alleyn. ‘I will be as quick as I can with our business. There are one or two questions, I’m afraid, but only one or two and none of them at all formidable.’