y practically. "I'd only just begun when you came, and I--I'll
start again to keep you company. You must be absolutely starving by
now."

She rang the bell and gave her orders to the servant who appeared in
answer.

"What about Aunt Eliza?" she went on when they were alone again. "I'll
'phone her you're having breakfast here, shall I?"

"Yes. And, look here, we've got to make things appear quite ordinary.
The mater knows I'm supposed to be taking Nan for a run this afternoon.
You'd better say I'm coming straight back to fetch the car, as we're
starting earlier."

Kitty nodded and hurried off to the telephone.

"It's all right," she announced, when she returned. "Aunt Eliza took
it all in, and merely remarked that I spoilt you!" She succeeded in
summoning up a faint smile.

"Then that coast's clear," said Sandy. "Who else? There's Roger.
What shall you do if he comes over to-day?"

"He won't. Lady Gertrude had a heart attack yesterday, and as Isobel
Carson's away, Roger, of course, has to stay with his mother. He
'phoned Nan last night."

"I think that safeguards everything this end, then," replied Sandy,
heaving a sigh of relief. "Allah is very good!"

After that, being a man with a long journey in front of him, he
sensibly applied himself to the consumption of bacon and eggs, while
Kitty, being a woman, made a poor attempt at swallowing a cup of tea.

Half an hour later he was ready to start for home.

"It's the slenderest chance, Kitty," he reminded, her gravely. "They
may not go near London. . . . But it's the _only_ chance!"

"I know," she assented with equal gravity.

"And in any case I can't get her back here till the morning. . . .
Good heavens!"--a new thought striking him. "What about the mater?
She'll be scared stiff if I don't turn up in the evening! Probably
she'll ring up the police, thinking we've had a smash-up in the car.
That would settle everything!"

"Don't worry about it," urged Kitty. "I'll invent something--'phone
her later on to say you're stopping here for the night."

Sandy nodded soberly.

"That'll do it, and I'll--Oh, hang! What about your servants? They'll
talk."

"And I shall lie," replied Kitty valiantly. "Nan will be staying the
night with friends. . . . Each of you stopping just where you
aren't!"--with a short strained laugh. "Oh, leave things to me at this
end! I'll manage, somehow. Only bring her back--bring her back,
Sandy!"

CHAPT