"I don't understand you--what then? Why did you come here uninvited? Why
did you send an untruthful message by my servant--that I would not
recognise your name?"

"Trying to bluff me, aren't you?" Slotman said. He looked her in the
eyes. "But it won't come off, Joan; no, my dear, I've been too busy of
late to be taken in by your airs and defiance!" He laughed. "I've been
making quite a round, here, there, and everywhere, and all because of
you, Joan--all because of you! Among other places I've been to," he went
on, seeing that she stood silent and unmoved, "is Marlbury You remember
it, eh? A nice little town, quiet though. I had a long talk with Miss
Skinner--remember her, don't you, Joany?"

Her eyes glittered. "Mr. Slotman, I am trying to understand what this
means. Is it that you are mad or intoxicated? Why do you come here to me
with all these statements? Why do you come here at all?"

"Marlbury," he continued unmoved, "a nice, quiet little place. I spent
some time in the church there, and at the Council offices, looking for
something, for something I didn't find, Joany--and didn't expect to find
either, come to that, ha, ha!" He laughed. "No, never expected to find,
but, to make dead sure, I went to Morchester, and hunted there, Joany,
and still I didn't find what I was looking for and knew I shouldn't
find!"

"Mr. Slotman!"

"You aren't curious, are you? You won't ask what I was looking for,
perhaps you can guess!" He took a step nearer to her. "You can guess,
can't you, Joany?" he said.