"Give him a free hand all the same--with servants and everybody.
I should ask him to come as your guest, then nobody need know who
he is, and he can pursue his investigations the more freely."

Felix Fayre-Michell made this suggestion after luncheon was ended,
and Masters and Fred Caunter had left the room. Then the
conversation showed signs of drifting back to sentimentality. Sir
Walter saw it coming in their eyes, and sought to head them off by
inquiring concerning their own movements.

"Can I be of any service to simplify your plans? I fear this
terrible event has put you all to great inconvenience."

"Our inconvenience is nothing beside your sorrow, dear Walter,"
said Nelly Travers.

All declared that if they could serve the cause in any way they
would gladly stop at Chadlands, but since they were powerless to
assist, they felt that the sooner they departed the better.

"We go, but we leave our undying sympathy and commiseration, dear
friend," declared Mr. Travers. "Believe me, this has aged my wife
and myself. Probably it would not be an exaggeration to say it
has aged us all. That he should have come through Jutland, done
worthy deeds, won honorable mention and the D. S. O., then to be
snatched out of life in this incomprehensible manner--nay,
perhaps even by supernatural means, for we cannot yet actually
declare it is not so. All this makes it impossible to say much
that can comfort you or dear Mary. Time must pass I fear, Walter.
You must get her away into another environment. Thank Heaven she