“Not at home.”
He stared with amazement.
The history of a “Not at home” is not, in general, worth recording: but this is an exception.
On receiving Falcon's card, Mrs. Staines gave a little start, and colored faintly. She instantly resolved not to see him. What! the man she had flirted with, almost jilted, and refused to marry—he dared to be alive when her Christopher was dead, and had come there to show her HE was alive!
She said “Not at home” with a tone of unusual sharpness and decision, which left the servant in no doubt he must be equally decided at the hall door.
Falcon received the sudden freezer with amazement. “Nonsense,” said he. “Not at home at this time of the morning—to an old friend!”
“Not at home,” said the man doggedly.
“Oh, very well,” said Falcon with a bitter sneer, and returned to London.
He felt sure she was at home; and being a tremendous egotist, he said, “Oh! all right. If she would rather not know her husband is alive, it is all one to me;” and he actually took no more notice of her for a full week, and never thought of her, except to chuckle over the penalty she was paying for daring to affront his vanity.
However, Sunday came; he saw a dull day before him, and so he relented, and thought he would give her another trial.