Althea met me as I entered, and her looks showed me in a second that something was wrong.
"Thank Heaven, you have come, Paul. I have been tortured with the fear that something must have happened to you."
"Your father?" I asked.
She threw up her hands. "You have guessed it then?"
"Tell me. I have been haunted by the fear that he heard us speaking about the house being clear of the police."
"He has gone, Paul. What do you think can have happened?"
At the sight of her agitation I blamed myself for having let her see by my eager question how grave a view I took of the matter.
"I was half afraid of something of the sort," I replied in a much lighter tone, as we went into the drawing-room; "but no doubt I can put it all right. Bessie told me at the station that he had been downstairs; and that noise you and I heard when we were talking about the police was probably when he heard what we said. It is unfortunate, of course; but it will be all right."
"You are only saying that to ease my mind, Paul."
"No, on my word. I am quite sure of being able to secure his pardon, and no trouble can come of this unless he meets with it from any other source. No police trouble, I mean. As for the rest I believe I know where to look for him, and of course I must be off at once. But tell me first all what led up to his going."