Wilkins smiled.
"But this gentleman's on his way up now, sir," he said. "He's one of your friends, and the office allowed him to come up and merely 'phoned that he was coming. It is Mr. Robert Vining, sir!"
Anthony shook his head.
"Well, I cannot see even Mr. Vining this morning," he said. "Say, when he comes to the door, that—good gracious!"
This last being quite justified, because Mary, with one small shriek, had bounded from her chair like a frightened fawn! The chair, toppling over, bumped about the floor for a bit until Wilkins caught it, and Mary, both hands clutched upon her bosom, stood poised for a full second, eyes round and horrified, lips parted.
Then, as the lightning flashes, Mary had turned, and it seemed that she floated through the air to the corridor and into the corridor and down the corridor. In rather less than another second the door of the recent David's chamber closed with a slam.
At the door the buzzer was buzzing.
"Will you see him, sir?" asked Wilkins.
"What? Yes," said Anthony. "Take away that chair and that extra plate before you open the door."
Johnson Boller stood with lips pursed gravely until Wilkins was gone.