"Neither can I!" Mr. Prohack admitted, quite truthfully.
He saw that he ought to have been gravely upset by Sissie's prank and he was merely amused. "Effect of too much sleep, no doubt," he added.
Eve walked about the room.
"I pretended to Machin this morning that Sissie had told me that she was sleeping out, and that I had forgotten to tell Machin. It's a good thing we haven't engaged lady's maids yet. I can trust Machin. I know she didn't believe me this morning, but I can trust her. You see, after Sissie's strange behaviour these last few days.... One doesn't know what to think. And there's something else. Every morning for the last three or four weeks Sissie's gone out somewhere, for an hour or two, quite regularly. And where she went I've never been able to find out. Of course with a girl like her it doesn't do to ask too direct questions.... Ah! I should like to have seen my mother in my place. I know what she'd have done!"
"What would your mother have done? She always seemed to me to be a fairly harmless creature."
"Yes, to you!... Do you think we ought to inform the police!"
"No!"
"I'm so glad. The necklace and Sissie coming on top of each other! No, it would be too much!"
"It never rains but it pours, does it?" observed Mr. Prohack.
"But what are we to do?"