The lady
who was serving when Meldon interrupted the game had read the history
of that detective's life. She looked at Simpkins with awed horror.
Simpkins wriggled uncomfortably on his ladder. He was conscious of
being placed in a very unpleasant position, and was anxious, if
possible, to divert the attention of the ladies.
"Forty-fifteen," he said loudly, but erroneously, for the score was
thirty all. Then he turned to Meldon and added in a whisper: "Go away
at once, please."
He hoped that the ladies would go on with their game. They did not.
He had given their score wrongly, and they became more suspicious than
ever. Nor did Meldon stir.
"Come down off that ladder at once," said Meldon. "I don't want to
make a very unpleasant affair public property; but if you don't come
down, I'll speak out, and there's a small crowd gathering round us."
This was true. The lady who had been serving dropped the two balls she
held in her hand and sidled up towards the step ladder. A number of
people, who had been watching an exciting match in the next court, left
it, and approached Meldon to find out what was going on. Simpkins'
conscience was quite at ease.
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