But if the doctor was disposed to be silent, so was not his lady, who began to find out cause after cause for her brother’s absence.
“Someone is ill, I’m sure, Henry, and Arthur has been summoned to the bedside.”
“Nonsense! If anyone were ill,” said the doctor, testily, “I should be sent for; and there is no one ill now, though we shall have half a dozen poorly to-morrow after that supper of Perowne’s.”
“Then some terrible accident has happened,” said Mrs Bolter. “Arthur would never have stopped away like this without some special reason.”
“Well, we shall see,” said the doctor.
“Henry,” said the lady, suddenly; and she came to a full stop.
“Yes, my dear.”
“Do you think it likely that Helen Perowne—poor foolish girl—would do such a thing?”
“What, as to run off with Arthur?” chuckled the little doctor.
“For shame, Henry! I say do you think she is likely to have walked down to the river-side because it is cool and slipped in? There is not the slightest protection.”