Page:Chesterton - The Club of Queer Trades.djvu/193

Speculation of the House-Agent about the cold veracity of our injured host."

"I don't quite grasp it all," said Rupert, blinking still in the sudden glare. "Lieutenant Keith said his address was—"

"It's really quite right, sir," said Keith, with an open smile. "The bobby asked me where I lived. And I said, quite truthfully, that I lived in the elms on Buxton Common, near Purley. So I do. This gentleman, Mr. Montmorency, whom I think you have met before, is an agent for houses of this kind. He has a special line in arboreal villas. It's being kept rather quiet at present, because the people who want these houses don't want them to get too common. But it's just the sort of thing that a fellow like myself, racketing about in all sorts of queer corners of London, naturally knocks up against."

"Are you really an agent for arboreal villas?" asked Rupert, eagerly, recovering his ease with the romance of the reality.

Mr. Montmorency, in his embarrassment, fingered one of his pockets and nervously 173