’Mrs. Sarratt!—­I hope you’re not too tired.  Would you rather get some food here, in the town, or push on at once?’

‘At once, please.  How is he?’

A pair of kind grey eyes looked down upon her sadly.

’Very ill, _-very_ ill!—­but quite sensible.  I know you will be brave.’

He carried her along the quay—­while Cicely was taken possession of by a nurse in uniform, who talked rapidly in an undertone.

‘I have two cars,’ said Howson to Nelly—­’You and I will go first.  Our head Sister, Miss Parrish, who has been in charge of the case for so long, will bring Miss Farrell.’

And as they reached the two waiting motors, Nelly found her hand grasped by a comely elderly woman, in a uniform of grey and red.

’He was quite comfortable when we left him, Mrs. Sarratt.  There’s a wonderful difference, even since yesterday, in his mind.  He’s beginning to remember everything.  He knows you’re coming.  He said—­“Give her my dear love, and tell her I’m not going to have my supper till she comes.  She shall give it me.”  Think of that!  It’s like a miracle.  Three weeks ago, he never spoke, he knew nobody.’

Nelly’s white face trembled, but she said nothing.  Howson put her into the foremost car, and they were soon off, threading their way through the busy streets of the base, while the Sister followed with Cicely.

‘Oh, it was cruel not to let Mrs. Sarratt know earlier!’ said the Sister indignantly, in answer to a hurried question from Cicely as soon as they were alone.  ’She might have had three weeks with him, and now there can only be a day or two.  What was Miss Cookson about?  Even if she were just mistaken, she might at least have brought her sister over to see for herself—­instead of preventing it by every means in her power.  A most extraordinary woman!’

Cicely felt her way in reply.  She really knew nothing except what Farrell had been able hurriedly to say to Marsworth at Windermere station—­which had been afterwards handed on to her.  Farrell himself was entirely mystified.  ’The only motive I can suggest’—­he had said to Marsworth—­’is that Miss Cookson had an insane dislike of her brother-in-law.  But, even so, why did she do it?’

Why, indeed?  Cicely now heard the whole story from her companion; and her shrewd mind very soon began to guess at reasons.  She had always observed Bridget’s complaisance towards her brother, and even towards herself—­a clumsy complaisance which had never appealed at all either to her or him.  And she had noticed many small traits and incidents that seemed to shew that Bridget had resented her sister’s marriage, and felt bitterly that Nelly might have done far better for herself.  Also that there was a strong taste for personal luxury in Bridget, which seemed entirely lacking in Nelly.

’She wanted Willy’s money!’—­thought Cicely—­’and couldn’t get it for herself.  So when poor Sarratt disappeared, she saw a way of getting it through Nelly.  Not a bad idea!—­if you are to have ideas of that kind.  But then, why behave like an idiot when Providence had done the thing for you?’