Even so, for the first time in their long friendship, he felt at odds with Blanche Farrow.  She ought to have stopped the seance the moment she saw whither it was tending!  His own experience of Bubbles’ peculiar gift had been very far from agreeable, and had given him a thoroughly bad night.  That strange, sinister evocation of his long-dead mother had stirred embers Varick had believed to be long dead—­embers he had done his best, as it were, to stamp out from his memory.

Another thing which added to his ill-humour was the fact that Bubbles, alone of the party, had not come down to breakfast.  In such matters she was an absolute law unto herself; but whereas during the first two days of the girl’s stay at Wyndfell Hall her host had been rather glad to miss her at breakfast—­it had been a cosy little meal shared by him and Blanche—­he now resented her absence.  He told himself angrily that she ought to have been there to help to entertain everybody, and to cheer up sulky James Tapster.  The latter had asked:  “Where’s Miss Bubbles?” with an injured air—­as if he thought she ought to be forming part of the excellent breakfast.

Mr. Burnaby was determined to get away from Wyndfell Hall as soon as possible, and by eleven o’clock the whole party, excepting Bubbles, was in the hall, bidding him good-bye.  And then it was that Varick suddenly realized with satisfaction that both Miss Burnaby and Helen regarded the departure of their kinsman with perfect equanimity.  Was it possible that Helen was glad her uncle and guardian was leaving her alone—­for once?  The thought was a very pleasant one to her present entertainer and host.

Even so, after he and Blanche Farrow turned away from the porch where they had been speeding the parting guest, she noticed that Varick looked more annoyed, more thoroughly put out, than she had ever seen him—­and she had seen him through some rather bad moments in the long course of their friendship!

“I hope Bubbles won’t try on any more of her thought-reading tomfoolery,” he said disagreeably.  “What happened last night has driven Mr. Burnaby away.”

“I think you’re wrong,” said Blanche quickly.  “I’m certain he received the letter of which he spoke.”

“I don’t agree with you”; and it was with difficulty that Varick restrained himself from telling her what he had overheard the unpleasant old man say to his niece.

“I think we shall get on all the better without him,” said Blanche decidedly.

She vaguely resented the way in which Varick spoke of Bubbles.  After all, the girl had come to Wyndfell Hall out of the purest good nature—­in order to help them through with their party.

“Oh, well, I daresay you’re right.” (He couldn’t afford to quarrel with Blanche.) “And I forgot one thing.  I’ve heard from Panton—­”

“You mean your doctor friend?” she said coldly.

“Yes, and he hopes to be here sooner than he thought he could be.  He’s a good chap, Blanche”—­there came a note of real feeling into Varick’s voice—­“awfully hard-worked!  I hope we’ll be able to give him a good time.”