Page:The Other House (London, William Heinemann, 1896), Volume 2.djvu/120

106 "Then how did you get here?"

"By the long way? I took a fly. I went back to get a paper I had stupidly forgotten and that I needed for a fellow with whom I had to talk. Our talk was a bore for the want of it, so I drove over there and got it, and, as he had his train to catch, I then overtook him at the station. I ran it close, but I saw him off; and here I am." Tony shook his head. "There's no one at Bounds."

Mrs. Beever looked at Paul. "Then where's Effie?"

"Effie's not here?" Tony asked.

"Miss Armiger took her home," said Paul.

"You saw them go?"

"No, but Jean told me."

"Then where's Miss Armiger?" Tony continued. "And where's Jean herself?"

"Where's Effie herself—that's the question," said Mrs. Beever.

"No," Tony laughed, "the question's Where's Vidal? He's the fellow I want to catch. I asked him to stay with me, and he said he'd go over, and it was my finding just now he hadn't come over that made me drive on here from the station to pick him up."