"Never mind trying to raise your hat," said Jane. "If you've lost the combination, we'll dispense with the formalities. What we're anxious to hear is what you're doing in the house at this time of night, and who your pals are. Come along, my lad, make a clean breast of it and perhaps you'll get off easier. Are you a gang?" "Do I look like a gang?" "If you ask me what you look like...." "My name is Marlowe ... Samuel Marlowe...." "Alias what?" "Alias nothing! I say my name is Samuel Marlowe...." An explosive roar burst from Mr. Bennett. "The scoundrel! I know him! I forbade him the house, and...." "And by what right did you forbid people my house, Mr. Bennett?" said Mrs. Hignett with acerbity. "I've rented the house, Mortimer and I rented it from your son...." "Yes, yes, yes," said Jane Hubbard. "Never mind about that. So you know this fellow, do you?" "I don't know him!" "You said you did." "I refuse to know him!" went on Mr. Bennett. "I won't know him! I decline to have anything to do with him!" "But you identify him?" "If he says he's Samuel Marlowe," assented Mr. Bennett grudgingly, "I suppose he is. I can't imagine anybody saying he was Samuel Marlowe if he didn't know it could be proved against him." "_Are_ you my nephew Samuel?" said Mrs. Hignett. "Yes," said Sam. "Well, what are you doing in my house?" "It's _my_ house," said Mr. Bennett, "for the summer, Henry Mortimer's and mine. Isn't that right, Henry?" "Dead right," said Mr. Mortimer. "There!" said Mr. Bennett. "You hear? And when Henry Mortimer says a thing, it's so. There's nobody's word I'd take before Henry Mortimer's." "When Rufus Bennett makes an assertion," said Mr. Mortimer, highly flattered by these kind words, "you can bank on it, Rufus Bennett's word is his bond. Rufus Bennett is a white man!" The two old friends clasped hands with a good deal of feeling. "I am not disputing Mr. Bennett's claim to belong to the Caucasian race," said Mrs. Hignett, "I merely maintain that this house is...." "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" interrupted Jane. "You can thresh all that out some other time. The point is, if this fellow is your nephew, I don't see what we can do. We'll have to let him go." "I came to this house," said Sam, raising his vizor to facilitate speech, "to make a social call...." "At this hour of the night!" snapped Mrs. Hignett. "You always were an inconsiderate boy, Samuel." "I came to enquire after poor Eustace's ankle. I've only just heard that the poor chap was ill." "He's getting along quite well," said Jane, melting. "If I had known you were so fond of Eustace...." "All right, is he?" said Sam. "Well, not quite all right, but he's going on very nicely." "Fine!" "Eustace and I are engaged, you know!" "No, really? Splendid! I can't see you very distinctly--how those Johnnies in the old days ever contrived to put up a scrap with things like this on their heads beats me--but you sound a good sort. I hope you'll be very happy."