lustrous-eyed, and vivid; a clear olive skin, and full, petulant, crimson
lips. She was fashionably dressed in black, with a black hat.

"The policeman tells me that Miss Fewbanks has not come up from Dellmere
yet," she continued.

"No, madam. We expect her to-morrow. I believe Miss Fewbanks has been too
prostrated to come."

"Dreadful, dreadful," murmured Mrs. Holymead. "I feel I want to know all
about it and yet I am afraid. It is all too terrible for words."

"It has been a terrible shock, madam," said Hill.

"Has the housekeeper come up, Hill?"

"No, madam. She will be up to-morrow with Miss Fewbanks."

"Well, is there nobody I can see?" asked Mrs. Holymead.

Police-Constable Flack was impressed by the spectacle of a beautiful
fashionably-dressed lady in distress.

"The inspector in charge of the case is upstairs, madam," he suggested.
"Perhaps you'd like to see him." It suddenly occurred to him that he had
instructions not to allow any stranger into the house, and police
instructions at such a time were of a nature which classed a friend of
the family as a stranger. "Perhaps I'd better ask him first," he added,
and he went upstairs with the feeling that he had laid himself open to
severe official censure from Inspector Chippenfield.