Gypo started, as if out of a heavy sleep. His brain went “thud, thud, thud,” trying to think whether he should say “yes,” or “no.” If he said “yes,” would he be caught in the act of telling a lie? If he said “no,” would he be able to find any other means of explaining how he got the money? Several other questions and problems also crowded into his mind simultaneously, in confusion. There were doubts, uncertainties and suspicions. He was completely in a mesh. His mind was like a refuse heap. There was no beginning or end to any chain of reasoning. He gave it up in despair. “Commandant,” he said, again touching his forehead, “I can make out nothin’. My head is sore. I must be drunk.” Again it was the same bewildered, agonizing cry of a lost human soul. A weak, thin, childish voice, coming from a giant. “Well, never mind,” said Gallagher cheerfully, “we’ll leave it at that. We’ll carry on. Before you went down to Aunt Betty’s, Mulholland saw you in a fish-and-chip shop, treating a crowd of people to a free meal. He said you spent about a pound there. Two pounds, three pounds, two pounds, one pound. . . . Well! You certainly were in a generous mood. American sailors are paid well of course. Throwing money about in all directions, eh? Like a millionaire! But of course that’s your own business. We are simply trying to get at the bottom of the business we have in hand. That business is simply this: _who informed on your pal Francis Joseph McPhillip?_” Gallagher uttered the sentence slowly and in a loud voice, looking closely at Gypo as he did so. Gypo started. His lips opened wide. But he remained silent. His lips moved, forming the words Gallagher had uttered, silently. Gallagher watched the movement of Gypo’s lips with curious detachment. Then he smiled slightly before continuing. “Before that of course,” he continued, “I met you myself in the public-house, in—er—Ryan’s public-house in Titt Street. There was where you told me that funny story about the Rat Mulligan. Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! . . .” Gallagher suddenly roared with laughter, holding his sides, with his head in the air. Gypo almost leaped from his form. He trembled.