His father was downstairs in the sitting-room now, and heard what he said to Selina.
"You have not seen Fanny?" he said questioningly, as they went into the room.
"No; he missed her somehow," said Mrs. Brown, answering for him.
"Why didn't you go on and see if she had started?" said his father.
"So I did, and saw Mrs. Lloyd, who told me I must have missed her coming along," answered Jack.
"But you could have gone to the church," said Brown, in a tone of annoyance.
"Yes, if I had known which church she was going to to-night; but there are two within easy reach of her place, and she told me the last time I saw her that sometimes she went to one, and sometimes to another; or she may have gone for a walk," suggested Jack, who expected Fanny to come in at any moment, as she evidently had not arrived yet. And then, to avoid being asked any more awkward questions about his sister, he asked his mother how she had found Jessie Collins.
"Oh, she is very poorly, of course, and her foot is very painful to-day, but she is less anxious now they have got her father to go home again. Radford took him this afternoon, and though he looks very bad, he understands all that has happened."
"Poor chap, he has had a hard time of it," said Brown, "and the hardest part is that, having kept himself a sober man all these years, he should break down just now. Did he see you?" he suddenly asked of his wife.
"Oh yes; he was sitting near Jessie when I went in, and he looked up, and asked how you were, and if it was true you had had a bad fall. 'Quite true,' I said, 'but we don't want any fuss made about it,' and then I talked to Jessie while he went and sat by the window."