Page:Bailey - Call Mr Fortune (Dutton, 1921).djvu/148

Rh it's quite clear. I always thought those two were in it. Probably the sweet young wife did it, or put Geoffrey up to it. Now he funks and she doesn't. Women carry off these things better than men, don't you know?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything. Lomas, old dear, you are grateful and comfortin', you really are. I knew you'd say that. And I know it's all wrong."

"My poor dear fellow! You never will reconcile yourself to an unsatisfactory case. It's so common too—a case you can't act on while you know it's sound."

"Oh, Peter! You can always act on a sound case."

"You're so young," Lomas smiled indulgently.

"We've missed something, don't you see?"

"And what have we missed, Reginald?"

Reggie pulled him up and looked at the ducks. For a long time he looked at the ducks. Then, "Cousin Herbert," he said. "The evasive, elusive Cousin Herbert. Why do we never come up against Cousin Herbert?"

"Because he had nothing to do with it, what?"

"Because we haven't looked for him."

Lomas gave an impatient laugh. "This is absurd, my dear fellow. That pallid, tame cat of a man!"

"You let some of your fellows sniff round him."

"My dear Fortune! Of course they have. He's