'Well, I don't suppose you'll have to wait long. I must confess I'm rather glad to have you here with me – I suppose Lomax will insist on coming back and talking to me when it's all over.'
'When what's all over? What is Lomax supposed to be doing?'
'Hush,' said Lord Caterham. 'He's proposing.'
'Proposing? Proposing what?'
'Marriage. To Bundle. Don't ask me why. I suppose he's come to what they call the dangerous age. I can't explain it any other way.'
'Proposing to Bundle? The dirty swine. At his age.'
Bill's face grew crimson.
'He says he's in the prime of life,' said Lord Caterham cautiously.
'He? Why, he's decrepit – senile! I –' Bill positively choked.
'Not at all,' said Lord Caterham coldly. 'He's five years younger than I am.'
'Of all the damned cheek! Codders and Bundle! A girl like Bundle! You oughtn't to have allowed it.'
'I never interfere,' said Lord Caterham.
'You ought to have told him what you thought of him.'
'Unfortunately modern civilisation rules that out,' said Lord Caterham regretfully. 'In the Stone Age now – but, dear me, I suppose even then I shouldn't be able to do it – being a small man.'
'Bundle! Bundle! Why, I've never dared to ask Bundle to marry me because I knew she'd only laugh. And George – a disgusting windbag, an unscrupulous, hypocritical old hot air merchant – a foul, poisonous self-advertiser –'
'Go on,' said Lord Caterham. 'I am enjoying this.'
'My God!' said Bill simply and with feeling. 'Look here, I must be off.'
'No, no, don't go. I'd much rather you stayed. Besides, you want to see Bundle.'
'Not now. This has driven everything else out of my head. You don't know where Jimmy Thesiger is by any chance? I believe he was staying with the Cootes. Is he there still?'
'I think he went back to town yesterday. Bundle and Loraine were over there on Saturday. If you'll only wait –'
But Bill shook his head energetically and rushed from the room. Lord Caterham tiptoed out into the hall, seized a hat and made a hurried exit by the side door. In the distance he observed Bill streaking down the drive in his car.
'That young man will have an accident,' he thought.
Bill, however, reached London without any mischance, and proceeded to park his car in St. James's Square. Then he sought out Jimmy Thesiger's rooms. Jimmy was at home.
'Hullo, Bill. I say, what's the matter? You don't look your usual bright little self.'
'I'm worried,' said Bill. 'I was worried anyway, and then something else turned up and gave me a jolt.'
'Oh!' said Jimmy. 'How lucid! What's it all about? Can I do anything?'
Bill did not reply. He sat staring at the carpet and looking so puzzled and uncomfortable that Jimmy felt his curiosity aroused.
'Has anything very extraordinary occurred, William?' he asked gently.
'Something damned odd. I can't make head or tail of it.'
'The Seven Dials business?'
'Yes – the Seven Dials business. I got a letter this morning.'
'A letter? What sort of a letter?'
'A letter from Ronny Devereux's executors.'
'Good lord! After all this time!'
'It seems he left instructions. If he was to die suddenly, a certain sealed envelope was to be sent to me exactly a fortnight after his death.'
'And they've sent it to you?'
'Yes.'
'You've opened it?'
'Yes.'
'Well – what did it say?'
Bill turned a glance upon him, such a strange and uncertain one that Jimmy was startled.
'Look here,' he said. 'Pull yourself together, old man. It seems to have knocked the wind out of you, whatever it is. Have a drink.'
He poured out a stiff whisky and soda and brought it over to Bill, who took it obediently. His face still bore the same dazed expression.
'It's what's in the letter,' he said. 'I simply can't believe it, that's all.'
'Oh, nonsense,' said Jimmy. 'You must get into the habit of believing six impossible things before breakfast. I do it regularly. Now then, let's hear all about it. Wait a minute.'
He went outside.
'Stevens!'
'Yes, sir?'
'Just go out and get me some cigarettes, will you? I've run out.'
'Very good, sir.'
Jimmy waited till he heard the front door close. Then he came back into the sitting-room. Bill was just in the act of setting down his empty glass. He looked better, more purposeful and more master of himself.
'Now then,' said Jimmy. 'I've sent Stevens out so that we can't be overheard. Are you going to tell me all about it?'
'It's so incredible.'
'Then it's sure to be true. Come on, out with it.'
Bill drew a deep breath.
'I will. I'll tell you everything.'
Chapter 30
AN URGENT SUMMONS
Loraine, playing with a small and delectable puppy, was somewhat surprised when Bundle rejoined her after an absence of twenty minutes, in a breathless state and with an indescribable expression on her face.
'Whoof,' said Bundle, sinking on to a garden seat. 'Whoof.'
'What's the matter?' asked Loraine, looking at her curiously.
'George is the matter – George Lomax.'
'What's he been doing?'
'Proposing to me. It was awful. He spluttered and he stuttered, but he would go through with it – he must have learnt it out of a book, I think. There was no stopping him. Oh, how I hate men who splutter! And, unfortunately, I didn't know the reply.'
'You must have known what you wanted to do.'
'Naturally I'm not going to marry an apoplectic idiot like George. What I mean is, I didn't know the correct reply from the book of etiquette. I could only just say flatly: 'No, I won't.' What I ought to have said was something about being very sensible of the honour he had done me and so on and so on. But I got so rattled that in the end I jumped out of the window and bolted.'
'Really, Bundle, that's not like you.'
'Well, I never dreamt of such a thing happening. George – who I always thought hated me – and he did too. What a fatal thing it is to pretend to take an interest in a man's pet subject. You should have heard the drivel George talked about my girlish mind and the pleasure it would be to form it. My mind! If George knew one quarter of what was going on in my mind, he'd faint with horror!'
Loraine laughed. She couldn't help it.
