Few except Barbara even heard his strange whisper,
and nobody could makeany sense of it. He was still smiling slightly, but his manner
had grown moregrave.
It isnt an extraordinary story, except
anextraordinarily ordinary story. Dont listen to any more of this rubbish, cried the
Deputy-Governor.
Windrush went on as if the other had not spoken.
Oh, forGods sake dont tell me about that beastly madman and mountebank! It was one
of the best planned things I ever knew, he said.
It would have looked just like
anaccident.
I know, she said, but for all that Im sure I dont
know everything. Itwas rather as if he believed what Hume had not said, rather than
what hehad.
And then Barbara felt a final stab of astonishment
and alarm. Look here, he said, do you know what this means?
I poundedalong after him along the path, but he had
too long a start.
It was he who spoke again, and more
lightly.
But he had other andwhat some could call graver
grounds of depression. I wonder it hasnt happened hundredsof times
before.
Occasionally, Im sorry to say, replied Colonel
Hayter.
I wonder it hasnt been told in hundreds of
storiesbefore. Anddont you know that, for the same reason, were all naturally
vagabonds? I am a Moderate, as I told you; I really amagainst all the
Extremists.
I know what Im going to do, said Barbara
stubbornly. But as forvagabonds, I imagine that vagabonds at least have the virtue
of getting amove on.
They appeared to be totally disconnected andindeed
were in every possible point dissimilar.
You have said so much, she said in a low voice,
that I want you to saymuch more. You are the only sane person I ever knew, she
replied.
Itseemed to himself that, like a hermit in his
cell, he was seeing visions.
In the case of the Prime Minister the tip of the
nosewould be indicated. No, no, said Hume, with a sort of hasty
solemnity.
I dontbelieve I could have proved
anything.
She was actually mounting that hill again,when she
met John Hume coming down.
To begin with, he had not planted it at
all.
But I happened to be able tooffer you evidence in
the other case.
Why in the world we are cursed with suchfilthy
fools .
Let me tell you two things also; they areshorter,
but they have to do with it. It would have looked just like anaccident.
Toms high, crowing voice was suddenly heard above
the crowd.
Believe me, its not theimaginative people who
become insane. Howlong are you going to hang about here? What fun it would be to
take an unscrupulousmillionaire and make him stand in the corner!