It may have been meant as a hint to any too curious guest not to
ask more questions, or a reminder to his host not to talk too
freely in front of strangers, although he gave it the sound of a
mere statement of fact. But the subject dropped, to be succeeded
by the more fascinating one of the coming foursome. Mrs.
Calladine was driving over with the players in order to lunch
with an old friend who lived near the links, and Mark and Cayley
were remaining at home--on affairs. Apparently "affairs" were
now to include a prodigal brother. But that need not make the
foursome less enjoyable.

At about the time when the Major (for whatever reasons) was
fluffing his tee-shot at the sixteenth, and Mark and his cousin
were at their business at the Red House, an attractive gentleman
of the name of Antony Gillingham was handing up his ticket at
Woodham station and asking the way to the village. Having
received directions, he left his bag with the station-master and
walked off leisurely. He is an important person to this story,
so that it is as well we should know something about him before
letting him loose in it. Let us stop him at the top of the hill
on some excuse, and have a good look at him.

The first thing we realize is that he is doing more of the
looking than we are. Above a clean-cut, clean-shaven face, of
the type usually associated with the Navy, he carries a pair of
grey eyes which seem to be absorbing every detail of our person.
To strangers this look is almost alarming at first, until they
discover that his mind is very often elsewhere; that he has, so
to speak, left his eyes on guard, while he himself follows a