'"Dear Captain Luscombe," she wrote, "I am awfully interested to hear that you are back in England; of course you will come and see us. Father insists that you shall, and you must be sure to bring your friend. I shall take no refusal. If you can give me his address, I will write to him at once, although, seeing we have never met, I think it will be better for you to convey my message. Tell him that I insist on you both coming as soon as possible. I have heaps of things to tell you, but I can't write them. Besides, as we shall be seeing each other soon, there is no need. Telegraph at once the time you will arrive, and remember that I cannot possibly hear of any excuse whatever from either of you."'
Edgecumbe having informed me of his whereabouts, I went to see him, and showed him the letter.
'Why on earth should she want to see me?' he asked.
'I don't know, except that I told her about our meeting,' I replied.
'She took a tremendous interest in you. Don't you remember?
For a few seconds there was a far-away look in his eyes, then evidently he came to a decision.
'Yes, I'll go,' he said, 'I will. I—I—think——' But he did not finish his sentence.
A few days later, we were on our way to Devonshire together, I little realizing the influence our visit would have on the future.
CHAPTER XV
DEVONSHIRE
Before leaving for England, I had learned that Captain Springfield was at a base hospital, and that although he was in a bad way, and not fit to return home, there were good hopes of his recovery. Of St. Mabyn I had heard nothing, but I imagined that very possibly Lorna Bolivick would have news of him. As I have said before, Lorna's letter, written on receipt of Paul Edgecumbe's photograph, had dispelled whatever ideas I had entertained about his being identical with Maurice St. Mabyn. Of course it was unthinkable, after what she had said. She had been so pronounced in her statement that Edgecumbe's face was altogether strange to her, and that she had never seen one like it before, that I was obliged to abandon all my former suspicions; and yet, at the back of my mind, I could not help believing that Edgecumbe and Springfield were not strangers.