"I believe," he said, with an odd impulse of impetuosity, "that you are the one man in the world that I couldn't be other than pleased to see." The elder man smiled.

"That's very kind of you," he said.
He had the slow speech of one accustomed to solitude.

He kept Piers' hand in his in a warm, firm grip.

"I have often thought about you," he said.
"You know, I never heard your name." "My name is Evesham," said Piers, with the quick, gracious manner habitual to him.

"Piers Evesham." "Thank you.