The telephone stood at her elbow, concealed—­at the express request of the interior decorator who had designed the room—­in the interior of what looked to the casual eye like a stuffed owl.  On a table near at hand, handsomely bound in morocco to resemble a complete works of Shakespeare, was the telephone book.  Mrs. Pett hesitated no longer.  She had forgotten the address of the detective agency which she had employed on the occasion of the kidnapping of Ogden, but she remembered the name, and also the name of the delightfully sympathetic manager or proprietor or whatever he was who had listened to her troubles then.

She unhooked the receiver, and gave a number.

“I want to speak to Mr. Sturgis,” she said.

“Oh, Mr. Sturgis,” said Mrs. Pett.  “I wonder if you could possibly run up here—­yes, now.  This is Mrs. Peter Pett speaking.  You remember we met some years ago when I was Mrs. Ford.  Yes, the mother of Ogden Ford.  I want to consult—­You will come up at once?  Thank you so much.  Good-bye.”

Mrs. Pett hung up the receiver.

CHAPTER XVII

MISS TRIMBLE, DETECTIVE

Downstairs, in the dining-room, Jimmy was smoking cigarettes and reviewing in his mind the peculiarities of the situation, when Ann came in.

“Oh, there you are,” said Ann.  “I thought you must have gone upstairs.”

“I have been having a delightful and entertaining conversation with my old chum, Lord Wisbeach.”

“Good gracious!  What about?”

“Oh, this and that.”

“Not about old times?”

“No, we did not touch upon old times.”

“Does he still believe that you are Jimmy Crocker?  I’m so nervous,” said Ann, “that I can hardly speak.”

“I shouldn’t be nervous,” said Jimmy encouragingly.  “I don’t see how things could be going better.”

“That’s what makes me nervous.  Our luck is too good to last.  We are taking such risks.  It would have been bad enough without Skinner and Lord Wisbeach.  At any moment you may make some fatal slip.  Thank goodness, aunt Nesta’s suspicions have been squashed for the time being now that Skinner and Lord Wisbeach have accepted you as genuine.  But then you have only seen them for a few minutes.  When they have been with you a little longer, they may get suspicious themselves.  I can’t imagine how you managed to keep it up with Lord Wisbeach.  I should have thought he would be certain to say something about the time when you were supposed to be friends in London.  We simply mustn’t strain our luck.  I want you to go straight to aunt Nesta now and ask her to let Jerry come back.”

“You still refuse to let me take Jerry’s place?”

“Of course I do.  You’ll find aunt Nesta upstairs.”

“Very well.  But suppose I can’t persuade her to forgive Jerry?”

“I think she is certain to do anything you ask.  You saw how friendly she was to you at lunch.  I don’t see how anything can have happened since lunch to change her.”