"You know how it was done!" The wondering exclamation
forced itself from Thorpe's unready lips. He bent
forward a little, and took a new visual hold, as it were,
of his companion's countenance.

Lord Plowden smiled. "Did you think I was such
a hopeless duffer, then?" he rejoined.

For answer, Thorpe leant back in his chair, crossed his legs,
and patted his knee contentedly. All at once his face
had lightened; a genial speculation returned to his
grey eyes.

"Well, I was in a curious position about you, you see,"
he began to explain. The relief with which he spoke
was palpable. "I could not for the life of me make up my
mind whether to tell you about it or not. Let's see--this
is Thursday; did I see you Tuesday? At any rate, the scheme
didn't dawn on me myself until toward evening Tuesday.
But yesterday, of course, I could have told you--and again
this afternoon--but, as I say, I couldn't make up my mind.
Once I had it on the tip of my tongue--but somehow I didn't.
And you--you never gave me a hint that you saw what was
going on."

Again Lord Plowden smiled. "I voted with you," he put
in softly.

Thorpe laughed, and relit his cigar. "Well, I couldn't have
asked anything better than this, "he declared once again.