They were alone at the meal, and she began questioning him at once about what had taken place with her father the previous afternoon. Where had they met before, and who was this Sam Catesby whose name was mentioned?
Whereupon Bert, losing his nervousness, related about those days on the Norfolk sands and how her father and he had been companions and passed the time together, with the Dean jokingly assuming his, Bert's, mode of speech. He said nothing, however, about the tragedy in the woods of Colonel Hilary.
Sarah laughed merrily at Bert being taken in, and then wanted to know how it happened he had come to Belton to get her father to give him work. Bert tried to be evasive but, pressing him hard, with her questions, she soon had the whole story out of him.
She was very amused. “And yo
