“Yes, of course,” Norah said. “There’s a light in the study: he’s always there at this time. Come in and I’ll hide you in Allenby’s pantry until I ring.”
They crept in by a side door, and immediately ran into the butler.
“How are you, Allenby?” Jim inquired pleasantly.
Allenby staggered back.
“It’s Mr. Jim!” he gasped, turning white.
“It is,” said Jim, laughing. He found the butler’s hand, and shook it. Norah left them, and went swiftly to her father’s study. She opened the door softly.
David Linton was sitting in a big armchair by the fire, bending forward and looking into the red coals. The light fell on his face, and showed it old and sad with a depth of sadness that even Norah had hardly seen. He raised his head as the door opened.
“Hallo, my girl,” he said, forcing a smile. “I was just beginning to wonder where you were.”
“I went across the park,” Norah said nervously. Something in her voice made her father look sharply at her.
“Is anything the matter, Norah?”