“Has Mr. Duncan returned?”
“No, sir.”
Fordyce cast a regretful look at the letter he was engaged in writing when interrupted, and rose. “Did you show the ladies into the drawing-room?”
“No, sir; they’re in the reception-room,” Henderson followed his master out into the hall. “If you please, sir,” he began deferentially. “Don’t take the ladies into the drawing-room, sir; Miss Janet is there with a caller, and I don’t think she wishes to be disturbed, sir.”
“Very well,” and hastening his footsteps, Fordyce went directly to the reception-room. Mrs. Calhoun-Cooper returned his greeting with such impressiveness that his eyes twinkled. “Please pardon me for keeping you waiting,” he began, after shaking hands with Pauline.
“We had not meant to disturb you,” chimed in Pauline, “but your footman said Mrs. Fordyce was indisposed.”
“And our errand is really very important,” interrupted Mrs. Calhoun-Cooper, “otherwise we would not have insisted on seeing you.”
Calderon Fordyce looked at his guests in some perplexity, but their serious manner impressed him, and he said slowly, “In that case we had better adjourn to my library; we can have no privacy in this room. Will you come this way?”
It was the first time Mrs. J. Calhoun-Cooper had been in the library, and she surveyed the handsomely furnished room with some envy. Calderon Fordyce’s “Now, madame,” brought her back to her errand.
“Possibly Janet told you of the disappearance of my pearl necklace at the ball last night?”