at church?" Anstice felt suddenly unwilling to go
into the matter with the mistress of Cherry Orchard.

"Not she! Don't you know Chloe only goes to church once in a blue moon?"
Sir Richard laughed breezily. "I don't blame her--I expect she feels she
owes Providence a grudge--but anyway she will be at home to-night.
And--another inducement--Tochatti will almost certainly be at _her_
church. Those Catholics are a queer lot," said Sir Richard, who was a
Protestant of the old school. "They will cheat you and lie to you--aye,
and half murder you, on a Saturday night--and turn up at Mass without
fail on Sunday morning!"

"Yes, I know Tochatti does go to the Roman Catholic chapel at night,"
owned Anstice rather reluctantly. "Well, sir, if you really think the
moment is propitious let us go by all means. After all, it is just
possible Mrs. Carstairs may have had suspicions of Tochatti herself."

"Yes. I remember Iris often used to say she distrusted the woman--don't
know why. I never paid much attention to her caprices," said Sir Richard
with a smile; and Anstice made haste to seize the opportunity thus
offered.

"Ah--by the way, what news have you of your daughter?" He could not call
her by the name he hated. "She is still in Egypt, I suppose?"

"Yes. She and Bruce are somewhere in the Fayoum at present--he has been
engaged on some irrigation job for a rich Egyptian of sorts, and he and
Iris have been camping out in the desert--quite a picnic they seem to
have had."

"Really?" For the life of him he could not speak naturally; but Sir
Richard was merciful and ignored his strained tone.

"They sent me some photographs--snapshots--last week," said Sir Richard.
"Would you care to see them? I have them here somewhere."

He opened a drawer as he spoke, and after rummaging in the contents for
a few moments drew out half a dozen small prints which he handed to
Anstice, saying:

"Amateur, of course--but quite good, all the same. Oh, by the way"--he
spoke with elaborate carelessness--"how did you come? Are you walking,
or have you the car?"

"The car? No, I walked--wanted exercise," said Anstice rather vaguely;
and Sir Richard nodded.

"Then we'll have out the little car, and you shall drive us over if you
will. And if you'll excuse me for a moment I'll just go and order it
round."

He waited for no reply, but bustled out of the room as though in sudden
haste; and left to himself Anstice turned over the little photographs