“Any more news, my son?”

“No, mother.  I was just going to ask.”

The old lady came forward as her son went out—­a splendid old creature in her lace and jewels—­active still and upright in spite of her years.  She made a little gesture as the men offered to move, and went and leaned by the old-fashioned open fire-place, such as her husband had put in at the restoration throughout the house.

“Your Eminence, can you reassure us?” she said, smiling.

The Cardinal, too, smiled as he turned in his chair.

“I am confident the Bill will pass,” he said.  “But I do not know yet what the price will be.”

“Your Eminence means in England?  Or elsewhere?” asked the chaplain abruptly.

“In England and elsewhere, father.”

Old Lady Jane Morpeth appeared at this moment, and the two ladies sat down on the high oak settle that screened the fire from the window.  They showed no signs of anxiety; but Monsignor perceived that their return at all to this room just now was significant.  Simultaneously the young man came in again, closing the door behind him.

“Our enquiries are not answered,” he said sharply.  “We are trying to get into touch with another office.”

No one spoke for a minute.  Even to Monsignor, who still found it hard always to understand the communication-system of the time, it was obvious that something must have happened.  He knew that Southminster Castle had been put into wireless touch with the great Marconi office in Parliament Square, and that a failure to be answered meant that something unexpected had happened.  But it was entirely impossible to conjecture for certain what this something might be.

“That is serious?” remarked Lady Southminster, without moving a muscle.

“I suppose so,” said her son, and sat down again.

Then the man who was looking out of the window turned and came back into the room, latching the shutters and putting the curtains into place.

“Well, Jack?” asked the General.

“I have counted eight or nine volors,” he said; “usually there are only two at this time.  I went to look for them.”

“Which way?”

“Three this way and five the other.”

Monsignor did not dare to ask for an interpretation.  But he was aware that the air of tenseness in the room tightened up still further.

The General got up.

“Southminster,” he said, “I think I’ll take a stroll outside if I may.  One might see something, you know.”

“Go up to the keep, if you like.  There’s a covered path most of the way up.  There’s a look-out there, you know.  I had one set in case the wireless failed.  At any rate, they may see the rockets farther along the coast.”

Monsignor too stood up.  His restlessness increased every moment, although he scarcely knew why.

“May I come with you too?” he said.  “Will your Eminence excuse me?”