procession to the Red
Hotel and established her there with some tea. "You are so kind to
me," she said. "All of you." They signified that it was nothing, and
dispersed to their inquiries. By six they returned, their zeal a little
damped, without news. Widgery came back with Dangle. Phipps was the last
to return. "You're quite sure," said Widgery, "that there isn't any flaw
in that inference of yours?"

"Quite," said Dangle, rather shortly.

"Of course," said Widgery, "their starting from Midhurst on the
Chichester road doesn't absolutely bind them not to change their minds."

"My dear fellow!--It does. Really it does. You must allow me to have
enough intelligence to think of cross-roads. Really you must. There
aren't any cross-roads to tempt them. Would they turn aside here? No.
Would they turn there? Many more things are inevitable than you fancy."

"We shall see at once," said Widgery, at the window. "Here comes Phipps.
For my own part--"

"Phipps!" said Mrs. Milton. "Is he hurrying? Does he look--" She rose in
her eagerness, biting her trembling lip, and went towards the window.

"No news," said Phipps, entering.

"Ah!" said Widgery.

"None?" said Dangle.

"Well," said Phipps. "One fellow had got hold of a queer story of a man
in bicycling clothes, who was asking the same question about this time
yesterday."

"What question?" said Mrs. Milton, in the shadow of the window. She
spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper.

"Why--Have you seen a young lady in a grey bicycling costume?"

Dangle caught at his lower lip. "What's that?" he said. "Yesterday! A
man asking after her then! What can THAT mean?"

"Heaven knows," said Phipps, sitting down wearily. "You'd better infer."

"What kind of man?" said Dangle.

"How should I know?--in bicycling costume, the fellow said."

"But what height?--What complexion?"

"Didn't ask," said Phipps. "DIDN'T ASK! Nonsense," said Dangle.

"Ask him yourself," said Phipps. "He's an ostler chap in the White
Hart,--short, thick-set fellow, with a red face and a crusty manner.
Leaning up against the stable door. Smells of whiskey. Go and ask him."

"Of course," said Dangle, taking his straw hat from the shade over the
stuffed bird on the chiffonier and turning towards the door. "I might
have known."

Phipps' mouth opened and shut.

"You're tired, I'm sure, Mr. Phipps," said the lady, soothingly. "Let me
ring for some tea for you." It suddenly occurred to Phipps that he ha