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Page 15
"Just nine holes, mother," pleaded Betty.
"The car could take you back, and you could tell them that we
were having another round, and then it could come back for us,"
said Bill brilliantly.
"It's certainly much cooler here than I expected," put in the
Major.
Mrs. Calladine fell. It was very pleasantly cool outside the
golf-house, and of course Mark would be rather glad to have them
out of the way. So she consented to nine holes; and the match
having ended all-square, and everybody having played much better
than in the morning, they drove back to the Red House, very well
pleased with themselves.
"Halo," said Bill to himself, as they approached the house,
"isn't that old Tony?"
Antony was standing in front of the house, waiting for them.
Bill waved, and he waved back. Then as the car drew up, Bill,
who was in front with the chauffeur, jumped down and greeted him
eagerly.
"Hallo, you madman, have you come to stay, or what?" He had a
sudden idea. "Don't say you're Mark Ablett's long-lost brother
from Australia, though I could quite believe it of you." He
laughed boyishly.
"Hallo, Bill," said Antony quietly. "Will you introduce me? I'm
afraid I've got some bad news."
Bill, rather sobered by this, introduced him. The Major and Mrs.
Calladine were on the near side of the car, and Antony spoke to
them in a low voice.
"I'm afraid I'm going to give you rather a shock," he said.
"Robert Ablett, Mr. Mark Ablett's brother, has been killed." He
jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "In the house."
"Good God!" said the Major.
"Do you mean that he has killed himself?" asked Mrs. Calladine.
"Just now?"
"It was about two hours ago. I happened to come here,"--he
half-turned to Beverley and explained--"I was coming to see you,
Bill, and I arrived just after the--the death. Mr. Cayley and I
found the body. Mr. Cayley being busy just now--there are police
and doctors and so on in the house--he asked me to tell you. He
says that no doubt you would prefer, the house-party having been
broken up in this tragic way, to leave as soon as possible." He
gave a pleasant apologetic little smile and went on, "I am
putting it badly, but what he means, of course, is that you must
consult your own feelings in the matter entirely, and please make
your own arrangements about ordering the car for whatever train
you wish to catch. There is one this evening, I understand,
which you could go by if you wished it."
Bill gazed with open mouth at Antony. He had no words in his
vocabulary to express what he wanted to say, other than those the
Major had already used. Betty was leaning across to Miss Norris
and saying, "Who's killed?" in an awe-struck voice, and Miss
Norris, who was instinctively looking as tragic as she looked on
the stage when a messenger announced the death of one of the
cast, stopped for a moment in order to explain. Mrs. Calladine
was quietly mistress of herself.
"We shall be in the way, yes, I quite understand," she said; "but
we can't just shake the dust of the place off our shoes because
something terrible has happened there. I must see Mark, and we
can arrange later what to do. He must know how very deeply we
feel for him. Perhaps we--" she hesitated.
"The Major and I might be useful anyway," said Bill. "Isn't that
what you mean, Mrs. Calladine?"
"Where is Mark?" said the Major suddenly, looking hard at Antony.
Antony looked back unwaveringly--and said nothing.
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