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 sure to go!” murmured Reggie. “Sorry! Didn’t mean to interrupt!”

“I must see him. I haven’t seen him since last summer, nearly a whole year! And he hasn’t written to me, and I haven’t dared to write to him for fear of the letter going wrong. So, you see, I must go. To-day’s my only chance. Aunt Caroline has gone away. Father will be busy in the garden and won’t notice whether I’m here or not. And besides, to-morrow it will be too late because Percy will be here. He was more furious about the thing than anyone.”

“Rather the proud young aristocrat, Percy!” agreed Reggie. “I understand absolutely. Tell me just what you want me to do.”

“I want you to pick me up in the car about half a mile down the road. You can drop me somewhere in Piccadilly. That will be near enough to where I want to go. But the most important thing is about Percy. You must persuade him to stay and dine in town and come back here after dinner. Then I shall be able to get back by an afternoon train and no one will know I’ve been gone.”

“That’s simple enough, what! Consider it done. When do you want to start?”

“At once.”

“I'll toddle round to the garage and fetch the car.” Reggie chuckled amusedly. “Rum thing! The mater’s just been telling me I ought to take you for a drive!”

“You are a darling, Reggie, really!”

Reggie gave her back another paternal pat.

“I know what it means to be in love, dear old soul. I say, Maud, old thing, do you find love puts you off your stroke? What I mean is, does it make you slice your approach shots?”