At that moment someone entered the room. He looked up with a smile, thinking it was the first guest. It was the hall-porter, who held out a salver, saying:
"A letter for your grace,"
He took the letter, saw it was Marion's handwriting, and told the man to go.
He broke the envelope and read over the letter slowly twice. When he had considered awhile he went to a table where there were writing materials, and addressed a cover:
"To the First Man who comes to-night."
Then on a sheet of paper he wrote:
"I was the first in, and had been here some time, when I got a note by the last post. Must run away at once, but hope to be back in an hour. Don't wait for me. I am awfully sorry. Show all the fellows this, and tell them, as they will guess, that nothing but matter of the gravest moment could take me away under the circumstances.
"C. A. C."
He drove straight to Tenby Terrace. He ran up the steps, and, when Anne opened the door, asked impetuously:
"Is May in?" He forgot to say "Miss Durrant."