Page:The Viaduct Murder (1926).pdf/167

the number of them make? As a matter of fact, in this case there's only one⁠—that Brotherhood really was an atheist, but posed as a Catholic when he was Davenant merely to put people off the scent. But can't you see how monstrous that is? Instead of taking the trouble to go over to Paston bridge every Sunday, he might have gained a far bigger local reputation for piety by sitting under Marryatt once in three weeks."

"Well, what other human probabilities are there?"

"Next to changing one's religion every Saturday to Monday, the most impossible thing in the world would be to change one's game of golf every Saturday to Monday. Theoretically it sounds all right; in practice I don't believe in it. I can't think how you did either, Carmichael, because golf is a thing of which you have some experience."

"Well, why didn't you communicate these doubts to us before?"

"You were talking too hard. But I can produce my diary to show you what I did think about your suggestion." And Gordon disappeared, to return after a few minutes with a formidable volume over which he spent an unvarying twenty minutes every evening. "Here you are. 'Thursday⁠—Carmichael has had an inspiration⁠—he thinks Davenant and Brotherhood were the same person, a sort of Jekyll-and-Hyde pair. He overlooks, it seems to me, the obvious phenomena of religion and golf. But of course it is very typical'"⁠—he broke off. "I don't expect that part would interest you."