Casually I addressed him.

“There’s a tallboy at the top of the stairs, labelled 207.  I’m not crazy about it, but it’s about the right size for a recess in my bedroom.  If you like to buy that for me on a five per cent. basis——­”

“Certainly, Major.”  He wrote in a fat notebook.  “Lot 207.  An’ ow’ ’igh will you go?”

I hesitated.

“I’ll go up to a hundred pounds.  But the cheaper you get it, the better for you.  Understand?”

“I’m there, Major.  Will you be coming back?”

“No.  But there’s my card.  You can telegraph to that address this evening, and I’ll send you a cheque.”

“Very good, sir.”

A minute later we were walking along the road towards Highlands and, while Jill was talking excitedly, I was considering my own recklessness.

As we entered the grounds—­

“Don’t say anything about it,” I said.  “Let it be a surprise.”

* * * * *

The first person I saw, as I entered the lounge of that hotel, was Berry.

“Do you mind not asking me why I’m here?” he said languidly.  “I’ve just finished telling Jonah, and repetition always wearied me.”

“Your movements have never interested me,” said I.  “All the same, I thought you were in the grip of Torment.”

“I was and shall be.  For the nonce——­” He turned to a tall dark girl who was leaning against the chimney-piece, watching us curiously.  “Let me introduce my brother-in-law.  Carefully kept from me before marriage and by me ever since.  Both the ablative case, I believe, but what a difference?  So rich is the English tongue.”

The girl threw back her head and laughed.  I observed that she had nice teeth.

“Name of Childe,” she said in a sweet voice.  “After all, we can’t expect him to remember everything.  Wasn’t my brother in your regiment?”

“I knew I’d seen you somewhere,” said I.  “The last time you were on a towel, leaning against a bottle of hairwash.  That was in Flanders in 1916.”

“That,” said Berry, “will do.  Miss Childe and I came here to lunch, not to listen to maudlin memories of the Great War.  Did I ever tell you that a Spaniard once compared me to that elusive bloom to be found only upon the ungathered apricot?”

“How much did you lend him?” said I.

“Perhaps he knew more about ferns,” said Miss Childe.

“Blind from birth, I suppose,” said Jonah’s voice.

My brother-in-law rose to his feet and looked about him with the expression of one who has detected an offensive odour.

“He was a man of singular insight and fine feeling,” he said.  “At the time of his outburst I was giving evidence against him for cruelty to a bullock.  And now, for goodness’ sake, somebody collect Jill and let’s have some lunch.”

* * * * *

“As a matter of fact,” said Miss Childe, “I’ve come down to get some butter and eggs.  They’re usually sent, but the housekeeper’s ill, and, as I was going spare, father suggested I should run down and pick them up.”