Mr. Tipping coughed behind his hand and murmured something inaudibly as his sister entered the room, followed by the third member of the party.
“Oh, Fred!” she said, wildly, “I wonder you can look me in the face. Where have you been all this time? Where have you been?”
“Give the man time to think,” said her brother, exchanging a glance with the other man.
“I’ve been everywhere,” said Flower, facing them defiantly. “I’ve been hunted all over the country.”
“But where did you go when you left me that day?” enquired Miss Tipping.
“It’s a long story,” said Flower, slowly. “But you got the letter I wrote you?”
Miss Tipping shook her head.
“You didn’t get it?” said Flower, in surprise. “I can’t think what you must have thought of me.”
“I’ll tell you what I thought of you, if you’d like to know,” interrupted Mr. Tipping, eagerly.
“I wrote to you to explain,” said Flower, glibly “I went abroad suddenly, called away at a moment’s notice.”