you? What a fool I am! There's been a hell of a hullabaloo. That's why I telephoned, rushed up. You know that she-cat came down here?" He had difficulty in explaining his errand.
"Yes. I saw her, she waited for you at the hotel. Go on, what next?"
"I didn't get back until after nine o'clock. And then I found her waiting for me. The servants did not know what to make of her; they told me they couldn't understand what she said, so I suppose she talked Christian Science. Fortunately I'd got the cheque with me. I had not been able to change it, the London banks were all closed. She took it like a bird. Not without some of the jargon and hope that I'd mend my ways, give up prescribing drugs. You know the sort of thing. I thought I'd got through, that it was all over. The cheque was dated Saturday, she would be able to cash it first thing Monday morning. It was as good as money directly the banks opened. I never dreamt of them meeting."
"Who?" asked Margaret, with pale lips. She knew well enough, although she asked and waited for an answer.
"She and Gabriel Stanton. It seems she was too late for the last train and had to put up at the hotel …"
"At the King's Arms?"
"Yes. He met her there, or rather she forced
