“Ah!⁠ ⁠… Your name, please?”

“John Smith, sir,” answered Carstares promptly and hoarsely. O’Hara wrote it down with a sceptical smile on his lips that Jack did not quite like.

“Perhaps ye will have the goodness to unmask?”

There was a momentary silence.

“Why, sir, I thought ye might allow me to keep it on?”

“Did ye now? I will not be allowing any such thing.”

“But, sir⁠—”

“ ’Tis impossible. Off with it!”

“Sir⁠—”

“If ye don’t take it off, I shall ask these men to assist ye,” warned Miles.