The instant Susannah had disappeared with Miss Stockbridge up the stairs, Mrs. Spash appeared in the Long Room. Apparently, she came with a definite object—an object in no way connected with the futile dusting movements she began to emit.
Lindsay watched her.
Suddenly Mrs. Spash’s eyes came up; met his. They gazed at each other a long moment; a gaze that was luminous with question and answer.
“She’s gone,” Lindsay announced after a while.
Mrs. Spash nodded briskly.
“She’ll never come back,” Lindsay added.
Again Mrs. Spash nodded briskly.
“They’ve all gone,” Lindsay stated.
For the third time Mrs. Spash briskly nodded.
“When Cherie came, they left,” Lindsay concluded.