‘I didn’t mean to do it.’ The ancient wail went up in the old house, which must have heard it a hundred times before in its long history. ‘She was trying to catch me. I didn’t think. I didn’t mean to do it. Honestly I didn’t mean to do it.’
The silence which followed, and which was only broken by Rupert’s sobs, went on so long that after a time both warriors glanced cautiously at Mr Campion, who appeared to have forgotten them. To their intense indignation, they discovered that he had. He had wandered over to the window and now stood looking out into the garden with unseeing eyes.
‘Of course,’ he said at last in a surprisingly matter of fact tone. ‘Of course. What a silly chap I am.’ Turning, he appeared to notice the two insulted faces for the first time. ‘Yes, indeed,’ he said, ‘you tw
