Sheiks and Adders by Michael Innes Read Free Book Online Page B

waiting for Professor McIlwraith to speak. ‘May I introduce myself? I am one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Just which, I haven’t yet determined. It must attend upon the event. Lust attracts me, I am bound to say. But I also have a fancy for Ire.’
    ‘This is Mark Chitfield,’ McIlwraith said with surprising composure – and even, it seemed, with approval. ‘Mark, this is Sir John Appleby, a neighbour of mine.’
    ‘How do you do?’ Mark put out a hand that was disconcertingly clean and well tended. ‘These assumed identities do give scope to the confessional impulse, wouldn’t you say? I suggested to my father that he might appropriately appear as Avarice, in which case I’d myself plump for Sloth. Have you brought Maid Marian with you, sir?’
    ‘I’m afraid not.’ Appleby gave Cherry Chitfield’s brother an appraising look. ‘I suspect,’ he said, ‘that your garb at least makes a nice change.’
    ‘Just that.’ Mark’s begrimed face brightened unexpectedly with a not unattractive grin. ‘Most of them got up a bit above themselves, wouldn’t you say? Walked into Drool straight out of le grand siècle or la belle époque . My own idea has been to afford a juster representation of the human condition.’
    ‘Quite so,’ Appleby said. The attraction of this young man for Professor McIlwraith, he supposed, consisted in his command of a certain linguistic sophistication. As to whether Mark was at all likeable, he reserved his judgement. Cherry had called her brother ‘horrid’, but by this she might have meant only that he was too clever for her. Perhaps the elder Miss Chitfield was more his match. She had certainly given tokens of having enjoyed the same blessings of higher education. What all three children had in common was a tendency to evince a disenchanted view of things.
    ‘But you’ve taken a different line yourself,’ Mark said to Appleby on a concessive note. ‘Robbing the rich and giving to the poor, and all that. Incidentally, there’s another chap around in Lincoln green. I caught a glimpse of him a few minutes ago. Is he your second-in-command, sir? He doesn’t look exactly like Friar Tuck.’
    ‘He’s Colonel Pride,’ Appleby said. ‘And your Chief Constable.’
    ‘Good Lord! You lot do seem to be keeping tabs on us. We’re a shady crowd, you see.’ Mark had offered this last remark to McIlwraith, who had appeared to be a good deal startled to learn that top policemen were so thick on the ground. ‘And I’ve warned my father often enough. It must all catch up with him one day.’
    ‘I’m here simply because your sister Cherry invited me.’ Appleby had thought poorly of Mark’s last joke. ‘And I’ve been looking out for her.’
    ‘I’m looking out for her myself, as a matter of fact. I’m afraid she’s up to some mischief. Along with that juvenile admirer of hers.’
    ‘The young man called Tibby?’
    ‘That’s right – Tibby Fancroft. Has Cherry been chattering about him?’
    ‘His name cropped up during our short conversation yesterday.’
    ‘Cherry imagines our parents have a down on Tibby – simply because he isn’t an infant stockbroker. It’s quite untrue. My father’s rather soft on Tibby, really. He probably thinks the child is just about right for his younger daughter, and that Tibby could be fixed up in some harmless niche easily enough. I forget whether you’ve met our Tibby, Prof?’
    ‘I have not had that pleasure, so far.’ McIlwraith seemed unoffended by this facetiously familiar mode of address.
    ‘Tibby’s also lying low at the moment. My father won’t be at all pleased if they fly in the face of parental command.’
    ‘In the matter of the rescued or ravished maiden?’ Appleby asked.
    ‘Just that. Cherry seems to have been uncommonly communicative.’
    ‘It was much on her mind. Does your father go in for taking a stern line with his children, Mr Chitfield?’
    ‘Not in the least. He didn’t even disapprove of phonemic