Derwent who added the roque court I saw you admiring when you arrived。〃
〃Roque？〃
〃A British forebear of our croquet； Mr。 Torrance。 Croquet is bastardized
roque。 According to legend； Derwent learned the game from his social secretary
and fell pletely in love with it。 Ours may be the finest roque court in
America。〃
〃I wouldn't doubt it；〃 Jack said gravely。 A roque court； a topiary full of
hedge animals out front； what next？ A life…sized Uncle Wiggly game behind the
equipment shed？ He was getting very tired of Mr。 Stuart Ullman； but he could see
that Ullman wasn't done。 Ullman was going to have his say； every last word of
it。
〃When he had lost three million； Derwent sold it to a group of California
investors。 Their experience with the Overlook was equally bad。 Just not hotel
people。
〃In 1970； Mr。 Shockley and a group of his associates bought the hotel and
turned its management over to me。 We have also run in the red for several years；
but I'm happy to say that the trust of the present owners in me has never
wavered。 Last year we broke even。 And this year the Overlook's accounts were
written in black ink for the first time in almost seven decades。〃
Jack supposed that this fussy little man's pride was justified； and then his
original dislike washed over him again in a wave。
He said： 〃I see no connection between the Overlook's admittedly colorful
history and your feeling that I'm wrong for the post； Mr。 Ullman。〃
〃One reason that the Overlook has lost so much money lies in the depreciation
that occurs each winter。 It shortens the profit margin a great deal more than
you might believe； Mr。 Torrance。 Th