He was right; but the person was not the one he expected. It was Lesley Drummond, ready in short skirt for a bicycle ride.
'Sir George!' he said sharply. 'I must see him at once!'
She stared at his hurry, his breathlessness. 'Sir George!' she echoed. 'He is not in. He has gone to lay the foundation-stone of the College--every one has gone. I only stopped because of Jerry not being quite well.'
She paused, startled, for Jack Raymond literally threw up his hands in impotent anger. Fool that he had been to forget? Of course! Everybody who could be of any use whatever, in this emergency, would be spouting rot five miles away on the other side of the city! If he had only thought of it before, and gone there instead of here! There might have been time, then, to arrange the only plan which was in the least likely--and now----
'What is it, Mr. Raymond?' came Lesley's voice. 'Let me help if I can.'
He shook his head. 'Nobody can--even I can't, though I know it's the only thing--that it ought to be done at once--that----' he broke off with an impatient gesture--'It's no use--it can't be helped!'
Lesley came a step nearer to him, with an odd look of resolve on her face.
'Do you mean that it would be wrong of you to do it, or that you haven't the right? I mean, is it something you could do if--if you were Sir George?'
The quickness of her perception made him say 'Yes?' frankly.
'Would Sir George do it if he were here?' followed sharply.