Mrs Forrester rose from her chair solemnly.
"I felt that I should only be doing my duty if I came."
"Of course you did, and you never miss an opportunity of doing your duty. Do you?"
Before the lady had a chance of replying a door opened. Miss Arnott turned to find that it had admitted Mr Morice. The sight of him was so unexpected, and took her so wholly by surprise that, at a momentary loss for a suitable greeting, she repeated, inanely enough, almost the identical words which she had just been uttering to Mrs Forrester.
"Mr Morice! This is--this is a surprise. I--I was just telling Mrs Forrester, who has been good enough to bring me rather a curious story, that if anyone mentions, in her hearing, that they saw me strolling through the woods in the middle of the night in a state of considerable undress, I shall be obliged if she gives such a statement a point-blank contradiction."
Mr Morice inclined his head gravely, as if he understood precisely what the lady was talking about.
"Certainly. Always advise Mrs Forrester to contradict everything she hears. Mrs Forrester hears such singular things."
CHAPTER XXV
[HUGH MORICE EXPLAINS]
So soon as Mrs Forrester had gone Mr Morice asked a question.