“This seems rather silly, doesn’t it? I am going home. Sir Joseph has worries enough without––”
“Ah, he has worries?”
She did not answer. The eagerness in his voice did not please her. He kept up a rain of questions, too, but she answered them all by referring him to Sir Joseph.
At last they reached the house. As they got out, two men closed in on the car and peered into their faces. Von Gröner snapped at them, and they fell back.
Marie Louise had taken along her latchkey. She opened the door herself and led von Gröner to Sir Joseph’s room.
As she lifted her hand to knock she heard Lady Webling weeping frantically, crying out something incoherent. Marie Louise fell back and motioned von Gröner away, but he pushed the door open and, taking her by the elbow, thrust her forward.
Lady Webling stopped short with a wail. Sir Joseph, who had been trying to quiet her by patting her hand, paused with his palm uplifted.
Before Marie Louise could speak she saw that the old couple was not alone. By the mantel stood Mr. Verrinder. By the door, almost touching Marie Louise, was a tall, grim person she had not seen. He closed the door behind von Gröner and Marie Louise.
Mr. Verrinder said, “Be good enough to sit down.” To von Gröner he said, “How are you, Bickford?”