Before I had time to answer, Brasher went droning on:
"Our friend here tells me that you say this pipe is haunted."
"I say it is haunted because it _is_ haunted."
I looked at Tress. I half suspected that he was poking fun at us. But he
appeared to be serious enough.
"In these matters," remarked Brasher, as though he were giving utterance
to a new and important truth, "there is a scientific and nonscientific
method of inquiry. The scientific method is to begin at the beginning. May
I ask how this pipe came into your possession?"
Tress paused before he answered.
"You may ask." He paused again. "Oh, you certainly may ask. But it doesn't
follow that I shall tell you."
"Surely your object, like ours, can be but the Spreading About of the
Truth?"
"I don't see it at all. It is possible to imagine a case in which the
spreading about of the truth might make me look a little awkward."
"Indeed!" Brasher pursed up his lips. "Your words would almost lead one to
suppose that there was something about your method of acquiring the pipe
which you have good and weighty reasons for concealing."
"I don't know why I should conceal the thing from you. I don't suppose
either of you is any better than I am. I don't mind telling you how I got
the pipe. I stole it."
"Stole it!"
Brasher seemed both amazed and shocked.
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