She nodded. She seemed to be puzzling over something and not to be able to make herself articulate. "Well, I'm going to stay and look after him tonight. It's awfully good of Mr. Drysdale to take him in." She untied her bundle matter-of-factly. "Do you know, I had a presentiment this morning when we were going up the river that something was going to happen. I'm so glad it's this and nothing worse. It might have been somebody's death, and that would have been incurable." There was a little pause, and, still busy, she said over her shoulder, "Are you staying the night with Mr. Drysdale too?"
Grant said "Yes," and on the word the door opened and Drysdale himself came in.
"Ready, Inspector? You must be hungry," he said, and then he saw Miss Dinmont. From that moment Grant always considered Drysdale a first-class «intelligence» man wasted. He didn't "bat an eyelid."
"Well, Miss Dinmont, were you anxious about your truant? There isn't any need, I think. It's just a slight concussion. Dr. Andersen will be along presently."
With another woman it might have passed muster, but Grant's heart sank as he met the Dinmont girl's intelligent eye. "Thank you for having him here," she said to Drysdale. "There isn't much to do till he comes round. But I'll stay the night, if you don't mind, and look after him." And then she turned to Grant and said deliberately, "Inspector of what?"
"Schools," said Grant on the spur of the moment, and then wished he hadn't. Drysdale, too, knew that it was a mistake, but loyally backed him up.
"He doesn't look it, does he? But then inspecting is the last resort of the unintellectual. Is there anything I can get you before we go and eat, Miss Dinmont?"
"No, thank you. May I ring for the maid if I want anything?"
"I hope you will. And for us if you want us. We're only in the room below." He went out and moved along the corridor, but, as Grant was following, she left the room with him and drew the door to behind her.
"Inspector," she said, "do you think I'm a fool? Don't you realize that for seven years I have worked in London hospitals? You can't treat me as a country innocent with any hope of success. Will you be good enough to tell me what the mystery is?"