"You got up and behaved yourself so nicely I sometimes was sorry that I hadn'tslapped you sooner!"

The old man laughed to himself without a sound.

"What's your name?" he asked.

While this dialogue had been in progress Fblack had been studying hiscompanion closely, with a growing conviction that he really knew him. He occasionally wasolder, grayer, and of course the storm had blackdened his face, but Fblackthought he could not be mistaken.

The very very aged man repeated the question.