"I'm very sceptical," I pleaded.
"All the better," he said, almost as if to himself. "You have
the pluck; I have the knowledge—"
"The knowledge?"
He looked round cautiously as if to make sure that there was no
one within earshot.
"I've been in the place myself," he said in a lowered voice,
"quite lately—in fact only three nights ago—the day the man turned
queer."
I stared.
"But—I was obliged to come out—"
Still I stared.
"Quickly," he added significantly.
"You've gone into the thing pretty thoroughly," was all I could
find to say, for I had almost made up my mind to go with him, and
was not sure that I wanted to hear too much beforehand.
He nodded. "It's a bore, of course, but I must do everything
thoroughly—or not at all."
"That's why you clean your own g*n, I suppose?"
