A light was dawning on Mrs. Beauchamp's mind:
"There was no mention of this at dinner last evening. When did Dr. Sinclair decide to go?"
"Just after he bade you good-night. He got a letter from MacKay, asking him to go, and decided at once."
"And all the arrangements had to be made, passports and everything else drawn up between then and the first launch this morning."
The consul's eyes were dancing and his face was a study:
"It had to be done."
"You base deceiver! After all your talk about my sleeping so soundly, you were never in bed at all."
The consul laid back his head and laughed till even the grave, slant-eyed Celestial waiter hurried into the room to see if there was need of assistance.
"You missed me a whole lot, didn't you, Gwen?"
"I do not want to talk to you."