In a few minutes Frank came back again into the room.
'Robert's taken my car,' he said.
'If Ben is at home he won't be more than ten minutes.'
'The rain will keep him at home all right,' said Favell; 'he'll be there.
And I think you will find I shall be able to make him talk.'
He laughed, and looked at Maxim.
His face was still very flushed. Excitement had made him sweat; there were beads of perspiration on his forehead.
I noticed how his neck bulged over the back of his collar, and how low his ears were set on his head.
Those florid good looks would not last him very long.
Already he was out of condition, puffy.
He helped himself to another cigarette.
'You're like a little trade union here at Manderley, aren't you?' he said; 'no one going to give anyone else away.
Even the local magistrate is on the same racket.
We must exempt the bride of course.
A wife doesn't give evidence against her husband.
Crawley of course has been squared. He knows he would lose his job if he told the truth.
And if I guess rightly there's a spice of malice in his soul towards me too.
You didn't have much success with Rebecca, did you, Crawley?
That garden path wasn't quite long enough, eh?
It's a bit easier this time, isn't it.
The bride will be grateful for your fraternal arm every time she faints.
When she hears the judge sentence her husband to death that arm of yours will come in very handy.'
It happened very quickly.
Too quick for me to see how Maxim did it.
But I saw Favell stagger and fall against the arm of the sofa, and down on to the floor.
And Maxim was standing just beside him.
I felt rather sick.
There was something degrading in the fact that Maxim had hit Favell.
I wished I had not known.
I wished I had not been there to see.
Colonel Julyan did not say anything.
He looked very grim.
He turned his back on them and came and stood beside me.
'I think you had better go upstairs,' he said quietly.
I shook my head.
'No,' I whispered.
'No.'
"That fellow is in a state capable of saying anything,' he said.
'What you have just seen was not very attractive, was it?
Your husband was right of course, but it's a pity you saw it.'
I did not answer.
I was watching Favell who was getting slowly to his feet.
He sat down heavily on the sofa and put his handkerchief to his face.
'Get me a drink,' he said, 'get me a drink.'
Maxim looked at Frank.
Frank went out of the room.
None of us spoke.
In a moment Frank came back with the whisky and soda on a tray.
He mixed some in a glass and gave it to Favell.
Favell drank it greedily, like an animal.