He cleared his throat. “There was,” he said, gazing hard at his fingers, “a mistake. Mr. [Pg 288]Peter was shielding some one else.” The tattoo stopped. The words were out.
And then the man broke through the butler. The mask of impassivity vanished.
“Lord, sir!” his voice was triumphant, “and mightn’t we ’ave known it, if only we ’adn’t been such a couple of blithering old fools.”
General Carden stared. “Ahem! Goring—really, Goring, I—” He was for a moment dumbfounded, helpless in his amazement. Then suddenly the amazement gave way before a humorous smile, his old eyes twinkled, and he brought his hand down on the table with a thump. “By God!” he cried; “you’re right.”
And Goring left the room choking with varied emotions, but pulling down his waistcoat with dignified pleasure the while.
CHAPTER XXIX
FOUND
Here, now, are the present employment and emotions of five of our characters—Tommy, with car and chauffeur, off to Devonshire, which was to be the starting-point of his search for a man with a peacock feather in his hat; General Carden watching hourly (though it was far too soon to begin to watch) for a telegram which should acquaint him of the success of the search; Anne alternating between waves of pride and despair and delicious secret joy; and Muriel spending hours with St. Joseph, imploring the dear Saint to hurry up with the job he had so successfully begun.
The intervals between these visits she spent mainly with Anne, rejoicing with her in her happier moods, encouraging, chiding, sympathizing when the waves of despair rolled high. Muriel alone knew to the full the heart of this [Pg 290]woman friend of hers, saw the proud spirit a captive between the hands of Love, realized what the captivity meant to her.