“No, only it’s not furnished, nor lighted, except down here where we’re entertaining.”

“No electricity, or gas, I suppose, out here.  Well, you can raise some kind of a light to trot round by, can’t you?  I’m a crank on ancient houses and furniture.  Wish you had some old mahogany—­that’s what you need in these rooms.”

Max procured a small hand-lamp from the kitchen, and proceeded to escort his guest about.  Neil began by showing a patronizing approval of details here and there, but as the survey continued he became less conversational, and walked about in silent inspection of everything, floors, walls, windows, and ceilings, putting on a pair of eye-glasses and assuming a hypercritical expression in excess even of his ordinary attitude.

“Very fair, very fair,” was his reply, when Max asked him, at the conclusion of the round of the second story, how he liked it.  Determined to make the most of his chance to interest this ordinarily bored young man, Max led the way up the stairs to the old library.  Here Neil opened his eyes.  But as he immediately narrowed them again, and began to examine books with an indifferent air, Max was not sure how much of an impression the collection was making.

Neil presently sat down.  “Suppose we stay a few minutes.  Quiet spot.  Rather enjoy getting away from the crowd.  Er—­not intending to furnish up and stay here, are you?  Quite a distance from town, isn’t it?”

“That’s the objection to living out here.”

“Have you heard that I’m coming back to practise in the city?”

“No.  That so?  With your father’s firm?”

“Yes.  Dad’s made me a pretty good offer, and while it was considerable of a sacrifice to leave the business I’ve built up down there, I’m willing to humour the old man.”  He crossed his legs in a superior sort of way, his head thrown back after a fashion which always made Max want to throw something at him and disturb his pose.  His tone was immensely condescending.

“When do you make the move?”

“Right away.  The governor’s in a hurry, and I’ve agreed to lose no time.  Don’t care to live with the old folks again, so I shall look round a bit for a place.  I drive a car, you know, and I’ve rather taken a fancy to having a country place, something on the old-style order.  I’ve picked up rather a decent collection of old mahogany and prints, Sheffield plate and Lowestoft china—­that sort of thing—­that needs a certain background to show it off.  I’ve heard of a number of places that might suit me; there are a good many abandoned country places these days—­people like to get into town.  Not many care, like me, for the artistic point of view in such matters.  Er—­I suppose you’ll sell this place?”

His tone was careless, but Max, who was watching him closely, saw a peculiar gleam in his eye which put him on his guard.  Neil Chase was nothing if not shrewd and sharp to the point where the man who dealt with him must look closely after his own interests.