“Backgammon?” said Miss Thane knowledgeably. “She won’t go. In fact, I hardly think it is worth your while to remain here, for she is set against seeing you.”
“Miss Thane,” said Sir Tristram dangerously, “it is quite evident to me that you are trying to prevent my seeing my cousin. I have not the smallest notion why she does not wish to see me. But I am going to see her. I trust I have made myself quite plain?”
“Yes, quite,” said Miss Thane, catching an echo of Eustacie’s voice joined with Nye’s in the coffee-room.
It seemed as though Shield had heard it too, for he turned his head towards the door, listening. Then he looked back at Sarah and said: “You had better tell me at once, ma’am: what scrape is she in?”
“Oh, none at all!” Miss Thane assured him, and added sharply: “Where are you going?”
“To find out for myself!” said Shield, opening the door, and striding off to the coffee-room.
Miss Thane, feeling that as an accomplice she had not been a success, followed him helplessly.
In the coffee-room were gathered the landlord, Mademoiselle de Vauban, an Excise officer, and the tapster. The Excise officer was looking suspiciously from Eustacie to Nye, and Eustacie was talking volubly and with a great deal of gesticulation. When she saw her cousin on the threshold she broke off, and stared at him in consternation. The landlord shot a look at Sir Tristram under his jutting brows, but said nothing.
“I’m sorry,” said Miss Thane, in answer to a reproachful glance from Eustacie. “I could not stop him.”
“You should have stopped him!” said Eustacie. “Now what are we to do?”