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"She is certainly one of the most charming young women I ever met in my life," I admitted. "I am glad, at any rate," Lady Enterdean declared, "that they have found their way to London. I shall make a point of calling on them myself tomorrow. Now, Paul, you must go and play bridge. They are waiting for you.
I found Lady Enterdean peering about with her lorgnette fixed to her eyes, apparently searching for something. "Lost anything, Lady Enterdean?" I asked. "A most extraordinary thing has happened, my dear Paul!" she declared, resting her hand on the bosom of her gown.
I tore downstairs, jumped into the waiting taxi and returned to the Milan. I entered the private room with a grave face. Evidently I was only just in time. The rubber of bridge had been broken up and my guests were standing about in little groups talking. I closed the door behind me and held up my hand. "Blanche," I announced "Lady Enterdean I am delighted to say I have recovered everything."
"It was one of the underwaiters the little dark one who brought in the coffee. The temptation seems to have been too much for him. He confessed directly he was questioned. He has restored everything and I thought it best to have him simply turned off without any fuss. Here is your pig, Sir Blaydon; your pendant, Blanche; your brooch, Lady Enterdean.
"My dear boy, how wonderfully clever of you!" Lady Enterdean exclaimed. "How relieved I feel! Most satisfactory, I am sure." She sat down promptly. There was a little murmur of voices. My guests gathered round me. I drew a long breath and continued on my mendacious career. "I have been closeted with the manager," I explained.
"The only trouble is that Lady Enterdean has just telephoned to her son to come down at once and renew his acquaintance with you and Eve." Mr. Parker whistled softly. His face had become a blank. "My! We do seem to be up against it!" he confessed uneasily. "The young man," I continued, "will be here in ten minutes perhaps sooner prepared to grasp you both by the hand and exchange reminiscences."
We sat a long time over dinner. Eve was between a cousin of mine who was a member of Parliament, a master of foxhounds, and in his way quite a distinguished person and the old Earl of Enterdean, my godfather; and they were both of them obviously her abject slaves.
If appearances had gone for anything at that moment I must indeed have looked guilty. "Most extraordinary!" I mumbled. "Oh! the things will turn up all right, without a doubt," Lady Enterdean declared good-humoredly. "Could we have a couple of waiters in and search properly, Paul? My knees are a little too old for this stooping."
I saw the whole of my little scheme, which up to now had proved so successful, threatened with instant destruction. Lady Enterdean passed on, probably to take some one else into her confidence. I crossed the room to the little group surrounding my friend, and as soon as I got near him I touched him on the shoulder. "Just one word with you, Mr. Bundercombe," I begged.
I left Eve talking to my sister and was on my way to try to get near her father when the Countess of Enterdean, a perfectly charming old lady who had known me from boyhood, intercepted me.
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