She shook hands, and the three went out through the hall and across the broad pavement to where the hansom was waiting. Lady Oxted got in first, and Geoffrey was already on the step to follow, when a man crossing the road came from behind the hansom and stepped on to the pavement close to where the doctor was standing.
"Dear fellow," said a very familiar voice, "what a glorious afternoon!"
The thing was so sudden that the doctor had literally no time to lose his nerve.
"Get in and don't look round," he said very low to Geoffrey.
But he was too late. At the sound of that voice, Geoffrey had already looked round, and he and Mr. Francis for one stricken moment stared at each other. But the pleasant smile did not fade from the old man's face; rather, it seemed fixed there.
Simultaneously, from inside the hansom came Lady Oxted's voice.
"Get in, Geoff," she said; "we haven't too much time."
Mr. Francis advanced a step, so that he could see into the hansom.
"Ah, and Lady Oxted too!" he remarked gently.—"Drive on, cabman."