disturbed; but there was now no train by which she could arrive that
day, so he was forced to the conclusion that she had postponed her
departure. There were now two things to be done, one to follow her
down to where she was staying--for he had ascertained her address from
Mrs. Jacobs; the other, to return home and come back on the morrow.
For reasons which appeared to him imperative, but which need not be
entered into here, he decided on the latter course; so leaving a note
for his wife, he drove, in a very bad temper, back to Paddington in
time to catch the five o'clock train to Roxham.

Let us now return to the Abbey House, where, whilst Philip was cooling
his heels in Lincoln's Inn Fields, a rather curious scene was in
progress.

At one o'clock, old Mr. Caresfoot, as was his rule, sat down to lunch,
which, frugal as it was, so far as he was concerned, was yet served
with some old-fashioned ceremony by a butler and a footman. Just as
the meal was coming to an end, a fly, with some luggage on it, drove
up to the hall-door. The footman went to open it.

"Simmons," said the squire, to the old butler, "look out and tell me
who that is."

Simmons did as he was bid, and replied:

"I don't rightly know, squire; but it's a lady, and she be wonderful
tall."

Just then the footman returned, and said that a lady, who would not
give her name, wished to speak to him in private.