it must mean something； so I sat tight。 Then when C began to come
along I said； 'Cayley； b'Jove' … bright； aren't I？ … and I simply hared to
the other end of the passage for all I was worth。 And hared back again。
Because I thought you might be getting rather involved in explanations
about where I was； and so on。〃
〃You didn't see Mark； then？〃
〃No。 Nor his No； I didn't see anything。〃
〃Nor what？〃
Antony was silent for a moment。
〃I didn't see anything； Bill。 Or rather； I did see something； I saw a
door in the wall； a cupboard。 And it's locked。 So if there's anything we
want to find； that's where it is。〃
〃Could Mark be hiding there？〃
〃I called through the keyhole in a whisper 'Mark； are you there？' he
would have thought it was Cayley。 There was no answer。
〃Well； let's go down and try again。 We might be able to get the door
open。〃
Antony shook his head。
〃Aren't I going at all？〃 said Bill in great disappointment。
When Antony spoke； it was to ask another question：
〃Can Cayley drive a car？〃
〃Yes； of course。 Why？〃
〃Then he might easily drop the chauffeur at his lodge and go off to
Stanton； or wherever he wanted to； on his own？〃
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〃I suppose so if he wanted to。〃
〃Yes。〃 Antony got up。 〃Well； look here； as we said we were going
into the village； and as we promised to leave that letter； I almost think we'd
better do it。〃
〃Oh！。。。。 Oh； very well。〃
〃Jallands。 What were you telling me about that？ Oh； yes； the
Widow Norbury。〃
〃That's right。 Cayley used to be rather keen on the daughter。 The
letter's for her。〃
〃Yes； well； let's take it。 Just to be on the safe side。〃 〃Am I going to
be done out of that secret passage altogether？〃 asked Bill fretfully。
〃There's nothing to see； really； I promise you。〃
〃You're very mysterious。 What's upset you？ You did see something
down there； I'm certain of it。〃
〃I did and I've told you about it。〃
〃No； you haven't。 You only told me about the door in the wall。〃
〃That's it； Bill。 And it's locked。 And I'm frightened of what's behind
it。〃
〃But then we shall never know what's there if we aren't going to look。〃
〃We shall know to…night；〃 said Antony； taking Bill's arm and leading
him to the hall； 〃when we watch our dear friend Cayley dropping it into
the pond。〃
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CHAPTER XV
Mrs。 Norbury Confides in Dear Mr。 Gillingham
They left the road； and took the path across the fields which sloped
gently downwards towards Jallands。 Antony was silent； and since it is
difficult to keep up a conversation with a silent man for any length of time；
Bill had dropped into silence too。 Or rather； he hummed to himself； hit at
thistles in the grass with his stick and made uncomfortable noises with his
pipe。 But he noticed that his companion kept looking back over his
shoulder； almost as if he wanted to remember for a future occasion the
way by which they were coming。 Yet there was no difficulty about it； for
they remained all the time in view of the road； and the belt of trees above
the long park wall which bordered its further side stood out clearly against
the sky。
Antony； who had just looked round again； turned back with a smile。
〃What's the joke？〃 said Bill； glad of the more social atmosphere。
〃Cayley。 Didn't you see？〃
〃See what？〃
〃The car。 Going past on the road there：〃
〃So that's what you were looking for。 You've got jolly good eyes； my
boy； if you recognize the car at this distance after only seeing it twice。
〃Well； I have got jolly good eyes。
〃I thought he was going to Stanton。〃
〃He hoped you'd think so obviously。〃
〃Then where is he going？〃
〃The library； probably。 To consult our friend Ussher。 After making
quite sure that his friends Beverley and Gillingham really were going to
Jallands； as they said。〃
Bill stopped suddenly in the middle of the path。
〃I say； do you think so？〃
Antony shrugged his shoulders。
〃I shouldn't be surprised。 We must be devilishly inconvenient for
him； hanging about the house。 Any moment he can get； when we're
definitely somewhere else； must be very useful to him。〃
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〃Useful for what？〃
〃Well； useful for his nerves； if for nothing else。 We know he's mixed
up in this business； we know he's hiding a secret or two。 Even if he doesn't
suspect that we're on his tracks； he must feel that at any moment we might
stumble on something。〃
Bill gave a grunt of assent； and they went slowly on again。
〃What about to…night？〃 he said； after a lengthy blow at his pipe。
〃Try a piece of grass；〃 said Antony； offering it to him。 Bill pushed it
through the mouthpiece； blew again； said； 〃That's better；〃 and returned the
pipe to his pocket。
〃How are we going to get out without Cayley knowing？〃
〃Well； that wants thinking over。 It's going to be difficult。 I wish we
were sleeping at the inn。。。。 Is this Miss Norbury； by any chance？〃
Bill looked up quickly。 They were close to Jallands now； an old
thatched farmhouse which； after centuries of sleep； had woken up to a new
world； and had forthwith sprouted wings； wings； however； of so discreet a
growth that they had not brought with them any obvious change of
character； and Jallands even with a bathroom was still Jallands。 To the
outward view； at any rate。 Inside； it was more clearly Mrs。 Norbury's。
〃Yes Angela Norbury；〃 murmured Bill。 〃Not bad…looking； is she？〃
The girl who stood by the little white gate of Jallands was something
more than 〃not bad…looking；〃 but in this matter Bill was keeping his
superlatives for another。 In Bill's eyes she must be judged； and
condemned； by all that distinguished her from Betty Calladine。 To
Antony； unhampered by these standards of comparison； she seemed； quite
simply； beautiful。
〃Cayley asked us to bring a letter along；〃 explained Bill； when the
necessary handshakings and introductions were over。 〃Here you are。〃
〃You will tell him； won't you； how dreadfully sorry I am about what
has happened？ It seems so hopeless to say anything； so hopeless even to
believe it。 If it is true what we've heard。〃
Bill repeated the outline of events of yesterday。
〃Yes。。。。 And Mr。 Ablett hasn't been found yet？〃
She shook her head in distress。 〃It still seems to have happened to
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somebody else； somebody we didn't know at all。〃 Then； with a sudden
grave smile which included both of them； 〃But you must come and have
some tea。〃
〃It's awfully decent of you；〃 said Bill awkwardly； 〃but we … er …〃
〃You will； won't you？〃 she said to Antony。
〃Thank you very much。〃
Mrs。 Norbury was delighted to see them； as she always was to see any
man in her house who came up to the necessary standard of eligibility。
When her life…work was completed； and summed up in those beautiful
words： 〃A marriage has been arranged； and will shortly take place；
between Angela； daughter of the late John Norbury。。。。 then she would utter
a grateful Nunc dimittis and depart in peace to a better world； if Heaven
insisted； but preferably to her new son…in…law's more dignified
establishment。 For there was no doubt that eligibility meant not only
eligibility as a husband。
But it was not as 〃eligibles〃 that the visitors from the Red House were
received with such eagerness to…day； and even if her special smile for
〃possibles〃 was there； it was instinctive rather than reasoned。 All that she
wanted at this moment was news … news of Mark。 For she was bringing
it off at last； and； if the engagement columns of the 〃Morning Post〃 were
preceded； as in the case of its obituary columns； by a premonitory bulletin；
the announcement of yesterday would have cried triumphantly to the
world； or to such part of the world as mattered： 〃A marriage has very
nearly been arranged （by Mrs。 Norbury）； and will certainly take place；
between Angela； only daughter of the late John Norbury； and … Mark
Ablett of the Red House。〃 And； coming across it on his way to the
sporting page； Bill would have been surprised。 For he had thought that；
if anybody； it was Cayley。
To the girl it was neither。 She was often amused by her mother's
ways； sometimes ashamed of them； sometimes distressed by them。 The
Mark Ablett affair had seemed to her particularly distressing； for Mark
was so obviously in league with her mother against her。 Other suitors；
upon whom her mother had smiled； had been embarrassed by that
championship； Mark appeared to depend on it as much as on his own
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attractions； great though he thought these to be。 They went a…wooing
together。 It was a pleasure to turn to Cayley； that hopeless ineligible。
But alas！ Cayley had misunderstood her。 She could not imagine
Cayley in love until she saw it； and tried； too late； to stop it。 That was four
days ago。 She had not seen him since； and now here was this letter。
She dreaded opening it。 It was a relief to feel that at least she had an
excuse for not doing so while her guests were in the house。
Mrs。 Norbury recognized at once that Antony was likely to be the
more sympathetic listener； and when tea was over； and Bill and Angela
had been dispatched to the garden with the promptness and efficiency of
the expert； dear Mr。 Gillingham found himself on the sofa beside her；
listening to many things which were of even greater interest to him than
she could possibly have hoped。
〃It is terrible； terrible；〃 she said。 〃And to suggest that dear Mr。 Ablett
…〃
Antony made suitable noises。
〃You've seen Mr。 Ablett for yourself。 A kinder； more warmhearted
man …〃
Antony explained that he had not seen Mr。 Ablett。
〃Of course； yes； I was forgetting。 But； believe me； Mr。 Gillingham；
you can trust a woman's intuition in these matters。〃
Antony said that he was sure of this。
〃Think of my feelings as a mother。〃
Antony was thinking of Miss Norbury's feelings as a daughter； and
wondering if she guessed that her affairs were now being discussed with a
stranger。 Yet what could he do？ What； indeed；