Half an hour later a note, which had been brought to the house by a boy, was put into Mrs. Jenwyn's hands. It contained two lines only:
The person we spoke about yesterday is passing under the name of Mr. Harold Vince, but his portmanteau is marked with the letters G. O.
Your obedient servant,
John Clisby.
When Miss Drelincourt, accompanied by Fanny, got back from her forenoon walk on the day following that of John Clisby's visit to Rosemount, she found that Mrs. Jenwyn had gone for a drive in the pony chaise they were in the habit of hiring from a jobmaster in the village; and, further, that she had left word Anna was not to wait luncheon for her, as she might possibly be rather late in returning.
It was such an unusual thing for Mrs. Jenwyn to drive out without her that the girl could not help speculating as to the nature of the errand which had taken her from home (why had she said no word of her intention at breakfast?), but no faintest suspicion of the truth entered her mind.
Mrs. Jenwyn went for a long country drive, and it was close upon two o'clock before Combe Fenton was reached on her return, by which time she felt pretty sure Guy Ormsby would be back from his usual appointment with Anna. Nor was she mistaken. She had requested her driver to stop at the Golden Swan Hotel, and on inquiring whether "Mr. Harold Vince" was indoors, she was told, to her satisfaction, that he was.
By this time her sprain was very much better, and with the driver's help, and that of a walking stick, she managed to alight and limp indoors. A minute later there was a tap at the door of "Mr. Vince's" sitting' room, and in response to his "Come in," it was opened by the landlady, who the same moment announced, "A lady to see you, sir."
Guy, who, with one leg thrown over the arm of his easy chair, was indulging in an after luncheon cigar, sprang to his feet, and on recognizing his visitor, which he did at the first glance, he stood staring at her for some seconds with a dropped jaw and a face which had faded to the color of an unripe lemon.
Mrs. Jenwyn waited till the door was shut behind the landlady before she spoke. Then she said pleasantly: