The Visitor
discussion, and nothing comes of it. That's where the fun of Travelling Back comes in. You find out."
I asked him if he had ever gone to the other centuries. He said, "No, but Pop did." I learned later that "Pop" was his father.
"You see," he added respectfully, "Pop's only just dead, and, of course, I couldn't afford it on my allowance. Pop," he went on, rather proudly, "got himself back into the Thirteenth Century during a walk in Kent with a friend, and found himself in the middle of a horrible great river. He was saved just before the time was up."
"How do you mean 'the time was up'?" said I.
"Why," he answered me, "you don't suppose Pop could afford more than one hour, do you? Why, the Pope couldn't afford more than six hours, even after they voted him a subsidy from Africa, and Pop was rich enough, Lord knows! Richer'n I am, coz of the gurls. . . . I told you I was Baron Hogg," he went on, without affectation.
"Yes" said I, "you did."
"Well, now, to go back to St. Thomas," he began——
"Why on earth——? " said I.
He interrupted me. "Now that is interesting," he said. "You know about St. Thomas, and you can tell me about the people who know about him, but it does show that he had gone out in the Twentieth Century, for you to talk like that! Why, I got full marks in St. Thomas. Only thing I did
85
