'And with this—upon my honour!—he looked up at me inquisitively. It was a question it appears—a bona fide question! However, he didn't wait for an answer.Before I could recover he went on, with his eyes straight before him, as if reading off something written on the body of the night. "It is all in being ready. I wasn't; not—not then. I don't want to excuse myself;but I would like to explain—I would like somebody to understand—somebody—one person at least! You! Why not you?"