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surprise。
〃Mr。 Dunster has left； sir；〃 she told them。
〃We saw him go；〃 Gerald replied。
〃Rather a quick recovery； wasn't it； nurse？〃 Hamel asked。
〃It wasn't a recovery at all； sir；〃 the woman declared sharply。
〃He'd no right to have been taken away。 It's my opinion Doctor
Sarson ought to be ashamed of himself to have permitted it。〃
〃They couldn't exactly make a prison of the place； could they？〃
Hamel pointed out。 〃The man； after all； was only a guest。〃
〃That's as it may be； sir；〃 the nurse replied。 〃All the same； those
that won't obey their doctors aren't fit to be allowed about alone。
That's the way I look at it。〃
Mrs。 Fentolin was passing along the corridor as they issued from
the room。 She started a little as she saw them。
〃What have you two been doing in there？〃 she asked quickly。
〃We were just passing；〃 Hamel explained。 〃We stopped for a moment
to speak to the nurse。〃
〃Mr。 Dunster has gone；〃 she said。 〃You saw him go； Gerald。 You
saw him； too； didn't you； Mr。 Hamel？〃
〃I certainly did；〃 Hamel admitted。
Mrs。 Fentolin pointed to the great north window near which they
were standing； through which the clear sunlight streamed a little
pitilessly upon her worn face and mass of dyed hair。
〃You ought neither of you to be indoors for a minute on a morning
like this；〃 she declared。 〃Esther is waiting for you in the car；
I think； Mr。 Hamel。〃
Gerald passed on up the stairs to his room； but Hamel lingered。
A curious impulse of pity towards his hostess stirred him。 The
morning sunlight seemed to have suddenly revealed the tragedy of
her life。 She stood there； a tired； worn woman； with the burden
heavy upon her shoulders。
〃Why not come out with Miss Fentolin and me？ he suggested。 〃We
could lunch at the Golf Club； out on the balcony。 I wish you
would。 Can't you manage it？〃
She shook her head。
〃Thank you very much；〃 she said。 〃Mr。 Fentolin does not like
to be left。〃
Something in the finality of her words seemed to him curiously
eloquent of her state of mind。 She did not move on。 She seemed；
indeed； to have the air of one anxious to say more。 In that
ruthless light； the advantages of her elegant clothes and
graceful carriage were suddenly stripped away from her。 She was
the abject wreck of a beautiful woman； wizened； prematurely aged。
Nothing remained but the eyes； which seemed somehow to have their
message for him。
〃Mr。 Fentolin is a little peculiar； you know；〃 she went on； her
voice shaking slightly with the effort she was making to keep it
low。 〃He allows Esther so little liberty； she sees so few young
people of her own age。 I do not know why he allows you to be with
her so much。 Be careful； Mr。 Hamel。〃
Her voice seemed suddenly to vibrate with a curious note of
suppressed fear。 Almost as she finished her speech； she passed on。
Her little gesture bade him remain silent。 As she went up the
stairs； she began to hum scraps of a little French air。
CHAPTER XXIII
Hamel sliced his ball at the ninth； and after waiting for a few
minutes patiently； Esther came to help him look for it。 He was
standing down on the sands； a little apart from the two caddies
who were beating out various tufts of long grass。
〃Where did it go？〃 she asked。
〃I have no idea；〃 he admitted。
〃Why don't you help look for it？〃
〃Searching for balls；〃 he insisted； 〃is a caddy's occupation。 Both
the caddies are now busy。 Let us sit down here。 These sand hummocks
are delightful。 It is perfectly sheltered； and the sun is in our
faces。 Golf is an overrated pastime。 Let us sit and watch that
little streak of blue find its way up between the white posts。〃
She hesitated for a moment。
〃We shall lose our place。〃
〃There is no one behind。〃
She sank on to the little knoll of sand to which he had pointed；
with a resigned sigh。
〃You really are a queer person；〃 she declared。 〃You have been
playing golf this morning as though your very life depended upon it。
You have scarcely missed a shot or spoken a word。 And now； all of
a sudden； you want to sit on a sand hummock and watch the tide。〃
〃I have been silent；〃 he told her； 〃because I have been thinking。〃
〃That may be truthful；〃 she remarked； 〃but you wouldn't call it
polite； would you？〃
〃The subject of my thoughts is my excuse。 I have been thinking of
you。〃
For a single moment her eyes seemed to have caught something of that
sympathetic light with which he was regarding her。 Then she looked
away。
〃Was it my mashie shots you were worrying about？〃 she asked。
〃It was not；〃 he replied simply。 〃It was you … you yourself。〃
She laughed； not altogether naturally。
〃How flattering！〃 she murmured。 〃By…the…by； you are rather a
downright person； aren't you； Mr。 Hamel？〃
〃So much so；〃 he admitted； 〃that I am going to tell you one or two
things now。 I am going to be very frank indeed。〃
She sat suddenly quite still。 Her face was turned from him； but
for the first time since he had known her there was a slight
undertone of colour in her cheeks。
〃A week ago；〃 he said； 〃I hadn't the faintest idea of coming into
Norfolk。 I knew about this little shanty of my father's； but I
had forgotten all about it。 I came as the result of a conversation
I had with a friend who is in the Foreign Office。〃
She looked at him with startled eyes。
〃What do you mean？〃 she asked quickly。 〃You are Mr。 Hamel； aren't
you？〃
〃Certainly；〃 he replied。 〃Not only am I Richard Hamel； mining
engineer； but I really have all that reading to do I have spoken
about； and I really was looking for a quiet spot to do it in。 It
is true that I had this part of the world in my mind； but I do not
think that I should ever have really decided to come here if it
had not been for my friend in London。 He was very interested
indeed directly I mentioned St。 David's Tower。 Would you like to
know what he told me？〃
〃Yes！ Go on； please。〃
〃He told me a little of the history of your uncle； Mr。 Fentolin；
and what he did not tell me at the time； he has since supplemented。
I suppose；〃 he added； hesitatingly； 〃that you yourself …〃
〃Please go on。 Please speak as though I knew nothing。〃
〃Well； then；〃 Hamel continued； 〃he told me that your uncle was at
one time in the Foreign Office himself。 He seemed to have a most
brilliant career before him when suddenly there was a terrible
scandal。 A political secret … I don't know what it was … had leaked
out。 There were rumours that it had been acquired for a large sum
of money by a foreign Power。 Mr。 Fentolin retired to Norfolk；
pending an investigation。 It was just as that time that he met with
his terrible accident； and the matter was dropped。〃
〃Go on； please；〃 she murmured。
〃My friend went on to say that during the last few years Mr。 Fentolin
has once again become an object of some suspicion to the head of our
Secret Service Department。 For a long time they have known that he
was employing agents abroad； and that he was showing the liveliest
interest in underground politics。 They believed that it was a mere
hobby； born of his useless condition； a taste ministered to； without
doubt； by the occupation of his