"
"You said he was in his room. You know you did."
"I said I supposed so. It's usual for a man to go there, I believe, to
get ready for dinner," added young Carteret, always ripe for a wordy war,
in his antipathy to the countess-dowager.
"_You_ said he had come in;" and the angry woman faced round on Captain
Dawkes. "You saw them going into their rooms, you said. Which was it--you
did, or you didn't?"
"I did see Carteret make his appearance; and assumed that Lord Hartledon
had gone on to his room," replied the captain, suppressing a laugh. "I am
sorry to have misled your ladyship. I dare say Hart is about the house
somewhere."
"Then why doesn't he appear?" stormed the dowager. "Pretty behaviour
this, to keep us all waiting dinner. I shall tell him so. Val Elster,
ring for Hedges."
Val rang the bell. "Has Lord Hartledon come in?" he asked, when the
butler appeared.
"No, sir."
"And dinner's spoiling, isn't it, Hedges?" broke in the dowager.
"It won't be any the better for waiting, my lady."
"No. I must exercise my privilege and order it served. At once, Hedges,
do you hear? If Hartledon grumbles, I shall tell him it serves him
right."
"But where can Hartledon be?" cried Captain Dawkes.
"That's what I am wondering," said Val. "He can't be on the river all
this time; Carteret would have seen him in coming home."
A strangely grave shade, looking almost like a prevision of evil, arose
to Dr.
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