‘“Said she didn’t want to be bullied into answering!” Why, what did she mean by that?’

Birkin raised his shoulders. ‘Can’t say,’ he answered. ‘Didn’t want to be bothered just then, I suppose.’

‘But is this really so? And what did you do then?’

‘I walked out of the house and came here.’

‘You came straight here?’

‘Yes.’

Gerald stared in amazement and amusement. He could not take it in.

‘But is this really true, as you say it now?’

‘Word for word.’