But Kate knew that the time had come when she must, to put it baldly, either take him or leave him. She had told Lionel that she was going to marry Robert Baxter. That, however, was several days ago. Then her decision was not irrevocable. Now, as she sat beside Robert Baxter in the motor, Kate realized that any day, any hour, any moment it might become irrevocable.
She spoke suddenly. "We'd better be hurrying," she said. "It's getting late. I'm getting hungry, aren't you?"
On the way home Kate kept him busy with the high speed lever, declaring that if they weren't back inside of half an hour she would certainly starve to death. In less than ten minutes Bob had passed the golf links, and in three minutes more they were whizzing through the lodge gates.
Kate felt it the moment they entered the house.
"What is it?" she asked, looking round curiously.
"What's what?" said Bob, as he followed her into the hall.
"It's so beastly quiet—there's something wrong. I wonder where Lionel is," she said.
They passed into the library. Kate pulled a bell, once, twice, and once again. No one answered.
"Perhaps it didn't ring," suggested Bob.
They tried one in the conservatory, and getting no response, they descended to the regions of the kitchen to see what was the matter. With the exception of Martin Luther, fast asleep on a seat by the range, there was not a living soul to be found anywhere.