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dining-room silver
and his mother’s jewellery.
    William, his eyes fixed with a fascinated stare upon Mr Blank’s ears, gave the required information readily, glad to be able in any way to interest this intriguing and mysterious
being.
    ‘Tell me about the war,’ said William at last.
    ‘It were orl right while it larsted,’ said Mr Blank with a sigh. ‘It were orl right, but I s’pose, like mos’ things in this ’ere world, it couldn’t
larst fer ever. See?’
    William set down the empty glass of lemonade and leant across the table, almost dizzy with the romance of the moment. Had Douglas, had Henry, had Ginger, had any of those boys who sat next him
at school and joined in the feeble relaxations provided by the authorities out of school, ever done this – ever sat at a real table outside a real public-house drinking lemonade and
talking to a man with no ears who’d fought in the war and who looked as if he might have done anything?
    Jumble, meanwhile, sat and snapped at flies, frankly bored.
    ‘Did you’ – said William in a loud whisper – ‘did you ever kill anyone?’
    Mr Blank laughed a laugh that made William’s blood curdle.

    ‘DID YOU’ – SAID WILLIAM IN A LOUD WHISPER – ‘DID YOU EVER KILL ANYONE?’
    ‘Me kill anyone? Me kill anyone? ’Ondreds!’
    William breathed a sigh of satisfaction. Here was romance and adventure incarnate.
    ‘What do you do now the war’s over?’
    Mr Blank closed one eye.
    ‘That ’ud be tellin’, wudn’t it?’
    ‘I’ll keep it awfully secret,’ pleaded William. ‘I’ll never tell anyone.’
    Mr Blank shook his head.
    ‘What yer want ter know fer, anyway?’ he said.
    William answered eagerly, his eyes alight.
    ‘’Cause I’d like to do jus’ the same when I grow up.’
    Mr Blank flung back his head and emitted guffaw after guffaw of unaffected mirth.
    ‘Oh ’ell,’ he said, wiping his eyes. ‘Oh, stroike me pink! That’s good, that is. You wait, young gent, you wait till you’ve growed up and see what yer pa says
to it. Oh ’ell!’
    He rose and pulled his cap down over his eyes.
    ‘Well, I’ll say good day to yer, young gent.’
    William looked at him wistfully.
    ‘I’d like to see you again, Mr Blank, I would, honest. Will you be here this afternoon?’
    ‘Wot d’yer want to see me agine fer?’ said Mr Blank suspiciously.
    ‘I like you,’ said William fervently. ‘I like the way you talk, and I like the things you say, and I want to know about what you do!’
    Mr Blank was obviously flattered.
    ‘I may be round ’ere agine this arter, though I mike no promise. See? I’ve gotter be careful, I ’ave. I’ve gotter be careful ’oo sees me an’ ’oo
’ears me, and where I go. That’s the worst of ’aving no ears. See?’
    William did not see, but he was thrilled to the soul by the mystery.
    ‘An’ you don’t tell no one you seen me nor nothing abart me,’ went on Mr Blank.
    Pulling his cap still farther over his head, Mr Blank set off unsteadily down the road, leaving William to pay for his lemonade with his last penny.
    He walked home, his heart set firmly on a lawless career of crime. Opposition he expected from his father and mother and Robert and Ethel, but his determination was fixed. He wondered if it
would be very painful to have his ears cut off.
    He entered the dining-room with an air of intense mystery, pulling his cap over his eyes, and looking round in a threatening manner.
    ‘William, what do you mean by coming into the house in your cap? Take it off at once.’
    William sighed. He wondered if Mr Blank had a mother.
    When he returned he sat down and began quietly to remodel his life. He would not be an explorer, after all, nor an engine driver nor chimney sweep. He would be a man of mystery, a murderer,
fighter, forger. He fingered his ears tentatively. They seemed fixed on jolly fast. He glanced with utter contempt at his father who had just come in. His father’s life of blameless