"How is your mother?"

"Longing for your return. Oh! Pam—the tremendously strong feeling she has for you makes it doubly hard for both of us. You explained to Markham—everything?"

I nodded.

"And they will telegraph news of him here?"

"Yes."

He lifted me out of the dog-cart at the door of Cromer Court; his face looked grey.

"God bless you," he said, "for coming back to us!"

XII

We dined in Mrs. Cromer's room.

She insisted and would take no denial.