Page:Doughty--Mirrikh or A woman from Mars.djvu/88

 “From the forest,” he replied with singular mildness. “Surely you have not forgotten your encounter with the tiger so soon?”

“Were you not here a moment ago?” cried the Doctor, ignoring the allusion.

“Did you see me here, sir?”

“No sir, but Wylde did.”

“I was here. I stepped out for a moment; now I am here again.”

“Faith, I see you are! Would you be obliging enough to inform me how you managed to escape a wetting?”

“By a very simple process, sir.”

“Name it.”

“When it began to rain I went inside.”

“What!”

“Did you fail to catch my words?”

“I failed to catch their significance.”

“Really, then I am at a loss to know how I can explain myself more fully.”

“Do you mean to tell us that you have been in this tower ever since it began to rain?”

“I came here before the rain began.”

“And where, pray, have you been since?”

“In one of the chambers above. I answer your questions, sir, simply from politeness. I deny your right to interrogate me; but go on to your heart’s content.”

“I propose to,” replied the Doctor, coolly. “You say you have been up stairs all the time we have been down  stairs. May I inquire if it was you who favored us with an exhibition more or less musical, a few moments ago?”

“I was singing—yes, sir.”

“Alone?”

“If you had come up you would have found no one with me.” “We did go up and we could not find even you.”

“For an excellent reason, sir. When you came up, I was no longer there.”

“Where were you?”

“Here.”

“Will you have the kindness to inform me by what means you got here?”

“No.”

“That settles it,” cried the Doctor, roughly. “I knew you couldn’t explain. I’ve nothing further to say.”