"I'm glad to see you back safe and sound, sir," said the man respectfully.
Smith shot a glance at Rodier, but the look of surprise on the Frenchman's face showed that he, at any rate, had not been talking. Kate's expression proved that she was equally surprised.
"And I hope the Master and Mr. Tom are as well as could be expected, sir," added Simmons.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, sir, I knew the Master had met with a accident—"
"But I cut the paragraph out of the paper," cried Kate.
"Yes, miss, that's what made me go and buy one. I assure you I haven't said a word to a soul, miss, guessing as you wanted it kep' from the Mistress, and you can't trust female maids."
"But how did you know I had gone out to the Solomons?" asked Smith.
"'Twas a bit in the Times first put me on the scent, sir, about a sensation in Constantinople about two daring and intrepid airmen that came down there sudden-like and went away in a jiff. No names were named, sir, but I guessed it was you and Mr. Rodier."
"Johnson had discretion, at any rate," murmured Smith. "Well!"