"Mr. Lomax, my lord, has already caught sight of your lordship when driving up the drive."
Lord Caterham sighed deeply.
"He would. Very well, Tredwell, I am coming." In a manner highly characteristic, Lord Caterham was always most genial when his feelings were in reality the reverse. He greeted George now with a heartiness quite unparalleled.
"My dear fellow, my dear fellow. Delighted to see you. Absolutely delighted. Sit down. Have a drink. Well, well, this is splendid!"
And having pushed George into a large arm-chair, he sat down opposite him and blinked nervously.
"I wanted to see you very particularly," said George.
"Oh!" said Lord Caterham faintly, and his heart sank, whilst his mind raced actively over all the dread possibilities that might lie behind that simple phrase.
"Very particularly," said George with heavy emphasis.
Lord Caterham's heart sank lower than ever. He felt that something was coming worse than anything he had yet thought of.
"Yes?" he said, with a courageous attempt at nonchalance.