‘Very good,’ I said.  ‘I’ll remember all that.’

‘Thank you.’  Then with a sudden swoop into the humility of an abashed boy—­’’Sorry if I haven’t said the proper things.  You see—­there’s Harvey looking at us again.  Oh, I want to say—­if ever you want anything in the way of orchids or goldfish or—­or anything else that would be useful to you, you’ve only to come to me for it.  Under the will I’m perfectly independent, and we’re a long-lived family, worse luck!’ She looked at me, and her face worked like glass behind driven flame.  ’I may reasonably expect to live another fifty years,’ she said.

‘Thank you, Miss Sichliffe,’ I replied.  ’If I want anything, you may be sure I’ll come to you for it.’  She nodded.  ’Now I must get over to Mittleham,’ I said.

‘Mr. Attley will ask you all about this.’  For the first time she laughed aloud.  ’I’m afraid I frightened him nearly out of the county.  I didn’t think, of course.  But I dare say he knows by this time he was wrong.  Say good-bye to Harvey.’

‘Good-bye, old man,’ I said.  ’Give me a farewell stare, so we shall know each other when we meet again.’

The dog looked up, then moved slowly toward me, and stood, head bowed to the floor, shaking in every muscle as I patted him; and when I turned, I saw him crawl back to her feet.

That was not a good preparation for the rampant boy-and-girl-dominated lunch at Mittleham, which, as usual, I found in possession of everybody except the owner.

‘But what did the dromedary say when you brought her beast back?’ Attley demanded.

‘The usual polite things,’ I replied.  ’I’m posing as the nice doggy friend nowadays.’

’I don’t envy you.  She’s never darkened my doors, thank goodness, since I left Harvey at your place.  I suppose she’ll run about the county now swearing you cured him.  That’s a woman’s idea of gratitude.’  Attley seemed rather hurt, and Mrs. Godfrey laughed.

‘That proves you were right about Miss Sichliffe, Ella,’ I said.  ’She had no designs on anybody.’

’I’m always right in these matters.  But didn’t she even offer you a goldfish?’

‘Not a thing,’ said I.  ’You know what an old maid’s like where her precious dog’s concerned.’  And though I have tried vainly to lie to Ella Godfrey for many years, I believe that in this case I succeeded.

When I turned into our drive that evening, Leggatt observed half aloud: 

’I’m glad Zvengali’s back where he belongs.  It’s time our Mike had a look in.’

Sure enough, there was Malachi back again in spirit as well as flesh, but still with that odd air of expectation he had picked up from Harvey.

* * * * *

It was in January that Attley wrote me that Mrs. Godfrey, wintering in Madeira with Milly, her unmarried daughter, had been attacked with something like enteric; that the hotel, anxious for its good name, had thrust them both out into a cottage annexe; that he was off with a nurse, and that I was not to leave England till I heard from him again.  In a week he wired that Milly was down as well, and that I must bring out two more nurses, with suitable delicacies.