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you, but not today. For certain grave reasons his tale must
wait for four hours. Then, I can promise you, you will be
entertained and possibly edified. I want you to assure Mr
Hannay that he will suffer no further inconvenience.’
This assurance was promptly given. ‘You can take up your
life where you left off,’ I was told. ‘Your flat, which probably
you no longer wish to occupy, is waiting for you, and your
man is still there. As you were never publicly accused, we
considered that there was no need of a public exculpation.
But on that, of course, you must please yourself.’
‘We may want your assistance later on, MacGillivray,’ Sir
Walter said as we left.
Then he turned me loose.
‘Come and see me tomorrow, Hannay. I needn’t tell you
to keep deadly quiet. If I were you I would go to bed, for you
must have considerable arrears of sleep to overtake. You had
better lie low, for if one of your Black Stone friends saw you
there might be trouble.’
I felt curiously at a loose end. At first it was very pleasant
to be a free man, able to go where I wanted without fear-
ing anything. I had only been a month under the ban of
the law, and it was quite enough for me. I went to the Sa-
voy and ordered very carefully a very good luncheon, and
then smoked the best cigar the house could provide. But I
was still feeling nervous. When I saw anybody look at me in
the lounge, I grew shy, and wondered if they were thinking
about the murder.
After that I took a taxi and drove miles away up into
North London. I walked back through fields and lines of

110 The Thirty-Nine Steps