"He has not yet come," Hal replied.
"Then he must be a slow walker, or—but will you take my car and go back to look for him? Will take you to the spot where your young captain left us on foot?"
Hal Hastings's first impulse was to accept the offer of the car. Yet Mlle. Nadiboff's acting was so perfect, her air so unconcerned save for mild curiosity, that any suspicion Hal may have felt for a second or two was quickly banished.
"No, though I thank you, Mademoiselle," he replied. "Captain Benson will doubtless be here before we could make a fair start."
Nodding pleasantly, the Russian vanished through the ladies' entrance.
Hal went back to his companions.
"Say," broke in Eph, presently, "if she left Jack to go several miles for her luncheon, she got it and returned mighty quick."
"Probably used a woman's privilege, and changed her mind about driving to that other hotel," suggested Mr. Farnum.
For some minutes more the party waited, then went down into the road, but there was no sign of Jack coming along.
"Mighty strange!" muttered Hal, uneasily. "Well, we've got to aboard, now," announced Jacob Farnum, after glancing at his watch. "Sorry we can't very well invite you to go with us, Mr. Hennessy."
"I shall see you, if you come ashore in the evening," replied the reporter. "In the meantime I shall be about the hotel. If I see Benson, I'll tell him where you all are."