In the meantime the middle-aged gentleman turned to Anstice with a word
of gratitude for his timely support.

"You're sure you're not hurt?" Anstice thought the other man looked
oddly white. "I'm a doctor--and if I can do anything for you----"

"No, I'm really all right, thanks." He relinquished Anstice's arm, which
he had been unconsciously holding, and looked round him. "By good luck
I'm opposite my club, and if this fellow has finished with me I'll go in
and sit down."

The constable intimated that he had no further need of him for the
moment; and having asserted his readiness to appear in court in
connection with the case he turned back to Anstice.

"Will you come in and have a peg with me?" His invitation was cordial.
"I'm all alone--just back from India, and if you can spare five minutes,
I'll be glad of your company."

"Thanks." Anstice was curiously attracted towards the man. "I'm killing
time, waiting for a train, and I'll come with pleasure."

They went up the steps of the building outside which the accident had
occurred; and five minutes later his new friend, brushed and tidied,
every speck of dust removed from his well-cut suit, led him to a
comfortable corner of the smoking-room and invited him to take a seat,
calling to a waiter as they sat down.

"What will you drink--whisky-and-soda? Right--I'll have the same--a
large whisky for me," he said, as the man moved away. "I really feel as
though I want a stiff drink," he added, rather apologetically, to
Anstice.

"I expect you do--your taxi came a fearful bump on the kerb," said
Anstice, "You were lucky not to get shoved through the window."

"Yes--it was down, fortunately, or I might have got in quite a nasty
mess with cut glass." He hesitated a moment. "By the way, shall we
exchange cards? Here's mine, at any rate."

He laughed and pushed the slip of pasteboard over to Anstice, who
returned the courtesy before picking it up. But as the latter glanced at
it perfunctorily, with no premonition of the surprise in store for him,
the name he read thereon sent a sudden thrill through his veins; and he
uttered a quite involuntary exclamation which caused his companion to
look up in amazement.

For by one of those strange coincidences which happen every day, yet
never lose their strangeness, the man who sat opposite to Anstice on
this murky November afternoon was Chloe Carstairs' husband, Major
Carstairs.

CHAPTER IV

For a moment his _vi