in."

She seemed to be considering it.

"How many people," she said, "know that Charlie was in that train? People
that matter--I don't mean you and Norah."

"Your butler, your parlourmaid, your housemaid, your cook, your
gardener--by this time--and Baby's nurse--"

("And Baby," she interrupted.)

"--The guard of the train, the booking clerks and porters at Midhurst and
Selham, and the station-masters at Midhurst and Selham and Petworth
(probably) and Fittleworth. Quite a number of important people, to say
nothing of Kendal, who is perhaps the most important of them all."

"And who was it who brought Kendal into it?"

I was silent.

"Nobody but you, Furny, or a born fool, would have dreamed of bringing
Kendal in."

I said that a little reflection would show her that it was impossible to
keep him out. To this she said, "Please go and find Norah. I want her."

I found Norah. I warned her that Viola was going to be extremely
difficult. She said it would be all right if I left Viola to her.

As we approached, Viola turned to her sister with an air of outraged and
long-suffering dignity.

"Norah," she said. "I do wish you would make Wally see what an ass he's
making of himself."

My wife said, in her admirable, judicial way, "How an ass?"

"Well--trying to make me go back and bringing Kendal out here to fetch
me. He doesn't seem to see that if I do go back with him it'll be as good
as proclaiming to everybody that I ran away with Charlie and was found
out by my clever brother-in-law who tracked me down in my husband's
motor-car and brought me back in it. Whereas, if I go quietly on to
London, as I meant to and as everybody knows I meant to, it'll be all
right."

"It won't," I said, "as long as Charlie's there. It will be if you come
home with us in the car now, and go up to town with Norah and me on
Monday."

"I've told you," she said wearily, "that I can't go back because I shall
never get away if I do. And I _must_--I must--and I will."

"Yes, dear, and you shall," my wife said, as if she were humouring
somebody who was mad.

But for a mad woman Viola, I must say, was extraordinarily lucid.

"What excuse did you give to Kendal for following me in this way?"

"We told him we had an important message to give you before you started."

"Important message! That was pretty thin. I'd have thought of something
cleverer than that if I'd been you. You _are_ a precious pair of
conspirators. Can't you see tha