“I wonder,” he said.
Dinner was a dreary performance. Even Collins was preoccupied. The first news bulletin had told them that Jackson had been declared by the doctors unfit to plead. It remained to be seen whether there was sufficient evidence to convict him as the murderer.
“How is your aunt?” said Allery, to make conversation.
“Oh, she is not very bad. She takes to her bed at intervals.”
“Nothing serious, I hope?” said Mrs. Allery.
“Only nerves.”
“What a blessing she did not hear about the ghost,” said Sanders.
“I think the less said about that the better,” said Allery.
“I quite agree,” said Collins with meaning. “Once these things get about they get exaggerated, and you will have the psychical research people offering to investigate, which would never do,” and as he said this he glanced at Allery.
“No,” said he without a flicker of the eyelid, “we don’t want this to get about at this time.”