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148 "At The Elms, of course. That's where the wretched Potts is for a certainty."

"And how do you propose that we should set about it?" demanded Sinclair.

Drummond drained his port and grinned gently.

"By stealth, dear old beans—by stealth. You—and I thought we might rake in Ted Jerningham, and perhaps Jerry Seymour, to join the happy throng—will make a demonstration in force, with the idea of drawing off the enemy, thereby leaving the coast clear for me to explore the house for the unfortunate Potts."

"Sounds very nice in theory," said Darrell dubiously, "but…"

"And what do you mean by a demonstration?" said Longworth. "You don't propose we should sing carols outside the drawing-room window, do you?"

"My dear people," Hugh murmured protestingly, "surely you know me well enough by now to realise that I can't possibly have another idea for at least ten minutes. That is just the general scheme; doubtless the mere vulgar details will occur to us in time. Besides it's someone else's turn now." He looked round the table hopefully.

"We might dress up or something," remarked Toby Sinclair, after a lengthy silence.

"What in the name of Heaven is the use of that?" said Darrell witheringly. "It's not private theatricals, nor a beauty competition."

"Cease wrangling, you two," said Hugh suddenly, a few moments later. "I've got a perfect cerebral hurricane raging. An accident…A car…What is the connecting-link…Why, drink.