Betty Calladine and Cayley had come in together.  Betty was the eighteen-year-old daughter of Mrs. John Calladine, widow of the painter, who was acting hostess on this occasion for Mark.  Ruth Norris took herself seriously as an actress and, on her holidays, seriously as a golfer.  She was quite competent as either.  Neither the Stage Society nor Sandwich had any terrors for her.

“By the way, the car will be round at 10.30,” said Cayley, looking up from his letters.  “You’re lunching there, and driving back directly afterwards.  Isn’t that right?”

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t have—­two rounds,” said Bill hopefully.

“Much too hot in the afternoon,” said the Major.  “Get back comfortably for tea.”

Mark came in.  He was generally the last.  He greeted them and sat down to toast and tea.  Breakfast was not his meal.  The others chattered gently while he read his letters.

“Good God!” said Mark suddenly.

There was an instinctive turning of heads towards him.  “I beg your pardon, Miss Norris.  Sorry, Betty.”

Miss Norris smiled her forgiveness.  She often wanted to say it herself, particularly at rehearsals.

“I say, Cay!” He was frowning to himself—­annoyed, puzzled.  He held up a letter and shook it.  “Who do you think this is from?”

Cayley, at the other end of the table, shrugged his shoulders.  How could he possibly guess?

“Robert,” said Mark.

“Robert?” It was difficult to surprise Cayley.  “Well?”

“It’s all very well to say ‘well?’ like that,” said Mark peevishly.  “He’s coming here this afternoon.”

“I thought he was in Australia, or somewhere.”

“Of course.  So did I.”  He looked across at Rumbold.  “Got any brothers, Major?”

“No.”

“Well, take my advice, and don’t have any.”

“Not likely to now,” said the Major.

Bill laughed.  Miss Norris said politely:  “But you haven’t any brothers, Mr. Ablett?”

“One,” said Mark grimly.  “If you’re back in time you’ll see him this afternoon.  He’ll probably ask you to lend him five pounds.  Don’t.”

Everybody felt a little uncomfortable.

“I’ve got a brother,” said Bill helpfully, “but I always borrow from him.”

“Like Robert,” said Mark.

“When was he in England last?” asked Cayley.

“About fifteen years ago, wasn’t it?  You’d have been a boy, of course.”

“Yes, I remember seeing him once about then, but I didn’t know if he had been back since.”

“No.  Not to my knowledge.”  Mark, still obviously upset, returned to his letter.

“Personally,” said Bill, “I think relations are a great mistake.”

“All the same,” said Betty a little daringly, “it must be rather fun having a skeleton in the cupboard.”

Mark looked up, frowning.

“If you think it’s fun, I’ll hand him over to you, Betty.  If he’s anything like he used to be, and like his few letters have been—­well, Cay knows.”