‘Well,’ Alleyn said. ‘There’s our view of your activities. It’s a picture based on your own behaviour and one or two known facts. If it is accurate, believe me, you will be wise to say so.’

Mr Phinn said in an unrecognizable voice: ‘And if I don’t choose to speak?’

‘You will be within your rights and we shall draw our own conclusions.’

‘You still don’t give me the famous Usual Warning one hears so much about?’

‘No.’

‘I suppose,’ Mr Phinn said, ‘I am a timid man, but I know, in respect of this crime, that I am an innocent one.’

‘Well, then,’ Alleyn said, and tried to lend the colour of freshness to an assurance he had so often given, ‘your innocence should cancel your timidity. You have nothing to fear.’

It seemed to Alleyn as he watched Mr Phinn that he was looking on at the superficial signs of a profound disturbance. It was as if Mr Phinn’s personality had been disrupted from below like a thermal pool and in a minute or two would begin to boil.

Some kind of climax was in fact achieved and he began to talk very rapidly in his high voice.

‘You are a very clever man. You reason from character to fact and back again. There! I have admitted everything. It’s all quite true. I tiffed with Cartarette. I flung my nobel Fin on the bridge. I came home, but did not enter my house. I walked distractedly about my garden. I repented of my gesture and returned. The Fin had gone. I sought out my rival and because of the howl of his dog – a disagreeable canine – I – I found him –’ Here Mr Phinn shut his eyes very tight. ‘No, really, it was too disagreeable! Even though his hat was over his face one knew at a glance. And the dog never even looked at one. Howl! Howl! I didn’t go near them but I saw my fish! My trout! My Superfin! And then, you know, I heard her. Kettle. Stump, stump, stump past the willow grove. I ran, I doubled, I flung myself on my face in the undergrowth and waited until she had gone. And then I came home,’ said Mr Phinn, ‘and as you have surmised I discovered the loss of my reading glasses which I frequently keep in my hatband. I was afraid. And there you are.’

‘Yes,’ Alleyn said, ‘there we are. How do you feel about making a signed statement to this effect?’

‘Another statement. Oh, tedious task! But I am resigned.’

‘Good. We’ll leave you to write it with the aid of your reading glass. Will you begin with the actual catching of the Old ’Un?’

Mr Phinn nodded.

‘And you are still disinclined to tell us the full substance of your discussion with Colonel Cartarette?’

Mr Phinn nodded.