"No, I won't do anything like that," Charles promised, and opened the door. He saw Duval out into the porch, and watched him dart out of the beam of light thrown through the open door. With a shrug of the shoulders he shut the door again, and went back to the library.
As he entered the room Celia looked up as though she were about to say something, but encountering a warning frown changed her mind.
"Well, Malcolm, bought another picture?" the Colonel chaffed him. "You know, you haven't yet shown us the first one you bought."
Charles shook his head. "I never show it to people after dark," he said. "It upsets them. Did you make your contract, by the way? That four spade one you were playing when I left you?"
"Yes, we made it," Ackerley replied. "Oughtn't to have, but Roote discarded a diamond. Aha, Roote, caught you napping that time, didn't I? Can't think why you held on to the heart."
Dr Roote merely grunted. He had embarked on his third whisky since dinner, and though still perfectly sensible was looking slightly hazy. In a little while his wife, seeing him look round for the decanter again, gave the signal for the party to break up. Colonel Ackerley stayed on for about twenty minutes after the Rootes had gone, and then he too took his departure.
Gathering up the scattered cards, Celia said: "I'm sorry for that little woman. I should divorce you, Charles, if you got fuddled every evening."
"I do not at any time approve of drunkenness," announced Mrs. Bosanquet, "and when a doctor falls into the habit of taking rather too much, I consider it most reprehensible. Now, if one of us was attacked by appendicitis in the middle of the night, what would be the use of sending for Dr Roote? Mrs. Bowers was telling me that they say in the village that he can't be got out of bed at night to attend to anyone, and we all know what that means."
"If you get attacked by appendicitis, Aunt, we'll send for Ponsonby, from Manfield," Peter promised.
"Yes, my dear, I hope that you would. But my appendix was removed some years ago," said Mrs. Bosanquet with mild triumph.