Page 39 (1/2)

"The persimmons are off the place, sir Mr Glenarm

was very fond of the fruit"

I had never seen a persimmon before, but I was in a

mood for experi, but the rich pulp brought a surprise

of joy to my palate Bates watched ree diminished

by the presence of a neat strip of flesh-colored court-plaster

over his right eye A faint suggestion of arnica

hung in the air

"This is a quiet life," I reive

hi

"You are quite right, sir As your grandfather used

to say, it's a place of peace"

"When nobody shoots at you through a ," I

suggested

"Such a thing is likely to happen to any gentleman,"

he replied, "but not likely to happen more than once, if

you'll allow the philosophy"

He did not refer to his encounter with the caretaker,

and I resolved to keep e of it tohimself, and here was

a case, I reasoned, where, if Bates were disloyal to the

duties Pickering had imposed upon him, the fact of his

perfidy was bound to disclose itself eventually Glancing