As he turned he caught sight of his wife.
"I caught the twelve o'clock train after all—you got my second wire?" he asked.
"No," she faltered, pressing her left hand, with the little case in it, close to the folds of her dress.
"I was afraid not. There was a bad storm at Hanaford, and they said there might be a delay."
At the same moment she found Wyant advancing with extended hand, and understood that he had concealed the fact of having already seen her. She accepted the cue, and shook his hand, murmuring: "How do you do?"
Amherst looked at her, perhaps struck by her manner.
"You have not seen Dr. Wyant since Lynbrook?"
"No," she answered, thankful to have this pretext for her emotion.
"I have been telling him that he should not have left us so long without news—especially as he has been ill, and things have gone rather badly with him. But I hope we can help now. He has heard that Saint Christopher's is looking for a house-physician for the paying patients' wing, and as Mr. Langhope is away I have given him a line to Mrs. Ansell."
"Extremely kind of you," Wyant murmured, passing his hand over his forehead.