"Mountains-Maupassant-hens—"
" Hens, dear?"
"Yes; the concentrated evil of a hen's face in a close-up."
Aunt Lin looked vague. She turned to Robert, as to terra firma.
"Had I better call, dear, if you are going to know them? Or ask the vicar's wife to call?"
"I don't think I would commit the vicar's wife to anything so irrevocable," Robert said, dryly.
She looked doubtful for a moment, but household cares obliterated the question in her mind. "Don't dawdle too long over your sherry or what I have in the oven will be spoiled. Thank goodness, Christina will be down again tomorrow. At least I hope so; I have never known her salvation take more than two days. And I don't really think that I will call on those Franchise people, dear, if it is all the same to you. Apart from being strangers and very odd, they quite frankly terrify me."
Yes; that was a sample of the reaction he might expect where the Sharpes were concerned. Ben Carley had gone out of his way today to let him know that, if there was police trouble at The Franchise, he wouldn't be able to count on an unprejudiced jury. He must take measures for the protection of the Sharpes. When he saw them on Friday he would suggest a private investigation by a paid agent. The police were overworked-had been overworked for a decade and more-and there was just a chance that one man working at his leisure on one trail might be more successful than the orthodox and official investigation had been.
6
But by Friday morning it was too late to take measures for the safety of The Franchise.