Part 20 (1/2)
He found Bill in the hall and proposed a stroll. Bill was only too ready. ”Where do you want to go?” he asked.
”I don't mind much. Show me the park.”
”Righto.”
They walked out together.
”Watson, old man,” said Antony, as soon as they were away from the house, ”you really mustn't talk so loudly indoors. There was a gentleman outside, just behind you, all the time.”
”Oh, I say,” said Bill, going pink. ”I'm awfully sorry. So that's why you were talking such rot.”
”Partly, yes. And partly because I do feel rather bright this morning. We're going to have a busy day.”
”Are we really? What are we going to do?”
”They're going to drag the pond-beg its pardon, the lake. Where is the lake?”
”We're on the way to it now, if you'd like to see it.”
”We may as well look at it. Do you haunt the lake much in the ordinary way?”
”Oh, no, rather not. There's nothing to do there.”
”You can't bathe?”
”Well, I shouldn't care to. Too dirty.”
”I see.... This is the way we came yesterday, isn't it? The way to the village?”
”Yes. We go off a bit to the right directly. What are they dragging it for?”
”Mark.”
”Oh, rot,” said Bill uneasily. He was silent for a little, and then, forgetting his uncomfortable thoughts in his sudden remembrance of the exciting times they were having, said eagerly, ”I say, when are we going to look for that pa.s.sage?”
”We can't do very much while Cayley's in the house.”
”What about this afternoon when they're dragging the pond? He's sure to be there.”
Antony shook his head.
”There's something I must do this afternoon,” he said. ”Of course we might have time for both.”
”Has Cayley got to be out of the house for the other thing too?”
”Well, I think he ought to be.”
”I say, is it anything rather exciting?”