Lord Caterham, Virginia and Bundle were sitting in the library after dinner. It was Tuesday evening. Some thirty hours had elapsed since Anthony’s rather dramatic departure.

 

For at least the seventh time Bundle repeated Anthony’s parting words, as spoken at Hyde Park Corner.

 

“I’ll find my own way back,” repeated Virginia thoughtfully. “That doesn’t look as though he expected to be away as long as this. And he’s left all his things here.”

 

“He didn’t tell you where he was going?”

 

“No,” said Virginia, looking straight in front of her. “He told me nothing.”

 

After this, there was a silence for a minute or two. Lord Caterham was the first to break it.

 

“On the whole,” he said, “keeping an hotel has some advantages over keeping a country house.”

 

“Meaning——?”

 

“That little notice they always hang up in your room. Visitors intending departure must give notice before twelve o’clock.”

 

Virginia smiled.

 

“I dare say,” he continued, “that I am old-fashioned and unreasonable³. It’s the fashion, I know, to pop in and out of a house. Same idea as an hotel—perfect freedom of action, and no bill at the end!”

 

“You are an old grouser,” said Bundle. “You’ve had Virginia and me. What more do you want?”

 

[Pg 231]

 

“Nothing more, nothing more,” Lord Caterham assured them hastily. “That’s not it at all. It’s the principle of the thing. It gives one such a restless feeling. I’m quite willing to admit that it’s been an almost ideal twenty-four hours. Peace—perfect peace. No burglaries or other crimes of violence, no detectives, no Americans. What I complain of is that I should have enjoyed it all so much more if I’d felt really secure. As it is, all the time I’ve been saying to myself ‘One or other of them is bound to turn up in a minute.’ And that spoilt the whole thing.”

 

“Well, nobody has turned up,” said Bundle. “We’ve been left severely⁴ alone—neglected, in fact. It’s odd the way Fish disappeared. Didn’t he say anything?”

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