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 had left the office. On hearing that Dick was out, and that his mother did not know where he had gone, Mr. Gill's perplexity became so manifest that Mrs. Peyton, after a moment, said hesitatingly: &quot;He may be at a friend's house; I could give you the address.&quot;

The architect caught up his hat. &quot;Thank you; I'll have a try for him.&quot;

Mrs. Peyton hesitated again. &quot;Perhaps,&quot; she suggested, &quot;it would be better to telephone.&quot;

She led the way into the little study behind the drawing-room, where a telephone stood on the writing-table. The folding doors between the two rooms were open: should she close them as she passed back into the drawing-room? On the threshold she wavered an instant; then she walked on and took her usual seat by the fire.

Gill, meanwhile, at the telephone, had &quot;rung up&quot; the Verney house, and inquired