THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD
"What I like about you," said Flora, with a touch of malice, "is your cheery conversation."
I fancy that at that Blunt reddened under his tan. His voice, when he spoke, sounded different—it had a curious sort of humility in it.
"Never was much of a fellow for talking. Not even when I was young."
"That was a very long time ago, I suppose," said Flora gravely.
I caught the undercurrent of laughter in her voice, but I don't think Blunt did.
"Yes," he said simply, "it was."
"How does it feel to be Methuselah?" asked Flora.
This time the laughter was more apparent, but Blunt was following out an idea of his own.
"Remember the Johnny who sold his soul to the devil? In return for being made young again? There's an opera about it."
"Faust, you mean?"
"That's the beggar. Rum story. Some of us would do it if we could."
"Any one would think you were creaking at the joints to hear you talk," cried Flora, half vexed, half amused.
Blunt said nothing for a minute or two. Then he looked away from Flora into the middle distance and observed to an adjacent tree trunk that it was about time he got back to Africa.
"Are you going on another expedition—shooting things?"
[108]
