"They jolly well didn't," replied his lordship.
"But Colling told us he did," said Lady Attwill.
"I knew he did. But they didn't."
Lady Attwill had been glancing over the Matin of that day, which had been laid upon the breakfast table. At these words of her companion's she put down the paper rather hurriedly and looked up.
"Dicky," she said, "I believe you know something."
"I know I do."
"What is it, then?"
"Bad breakdown at Selby overnight. They came on to my place in a hired motor next morning. I heard all about it from the man who drove them down from Selby."
Lady Attwill was very genuinely interested, or achieved a fair assumption of interest. "Dicky!" she cried.
Lord Ellerdine nodded his thin head vigorously. "It's a fact," he replied triumphantly. "The fellow is now my second chauffeur. So you see I can find out things if I have time enough. Alice, I don't like this fix Peggy's in. Staying at Selby with Collingwood all night was bad enough, but——"