'Yes, sir?'

'The Headmaster wishes to see you--again.'

'Yes, sir,' said Harrison.

There was a curious lack of enthusiasm in his voice.




[3]

L'AFFAIRE UNCLE JOHN
(_A Story in Letters_)



I

From Richard Venables, of St Austin's School, to his brother Archibald
Venables, of King's College, Cambridge:

Dear Archie--I take up my pen to write to you, not as one hoping for an
answer, but rather in order that (you notice the Thucydidean
construction) I may tell you of an event the most important of those
that have gone before. You may or may not have heard far-off echoes of
my adventure with Uncle John, who has just come back from the
diamond-mines--and looks it. It happened thusly: