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〃You will tell him； won't you； how dreadfully sorry I am about what
has happened？ It seems so hopeless to say anything； so hopeless even to
believe it。 If it is true what we've heard。〃
Bill repeated the outline of events of yesterday。
〃Yes。。。。 And Mr。 Ablett hasn't been found yet？〃
She shook her head in distress。 〃It still seems to have happened to
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somebody else； somebody we didn't know at all。〃 Then； with a sudden
grave smile which included both of them； 〃But you must come and have
some tea。〃
〃It's awfully decent of you；〃 said Bill awkwardly； 〃but we … er …〃
〃You will； won't you？〃 she said to Antony。
〃Thank you very much。〃
Mrs。 Norbury was delighted to see them； as she always was to see any
man in her house who came up to the necessary standard of eligibility。
When her life…work was completed； and summed up in those beautiful
words： 〃A marriage has been arranged； and will shortly take place；
between Angela； daughter of the late John Norbury。。。。 then she would utter
a grateful Nunc dimittis and depart in peace to a better world； if Heaven
insisted； but preferably to her new son…in…law's more dignified
establishment。 For there was no doubt that eligibility meant not only
eligibility as a husband。
But it was not as 〃eligibles〃 that the visitors from the Red House were
received with such eagerness to…day； and even if her special smile for
〃possibles〃 was there； it was instinctive rather than reasoned。 All that she
wanted at this moment was news … news of Mark。 For she was bringing
it off at last； and； if the engagement columns of the 〃Morning Post〃 were
preceded； as in the case of its obituary columns； by a premonitory bulletin；
the announcement of yesterday would have cried triumphantly to the
world； or to such part of the world as mattered： 〃A marriage has very
nearly been arranged （by Mrs。 Norbury）； and will certainly take place；
between Angela； only daughter of the late John Norbury； and … Mark
Ablett of the Red House。〃 And； coming across it on his way to the
sporting page； Bill would have been surprised。 For he had thought that；
if anybody； it was Cayley。
To the girl it was neither。 She was often amused by her mother's
ways； sometimes ashamed of them； sometimes distressed by them。 The
Mark Ablett affair had seemed to her particularly distressing； for Mark
was so obviously in league with her mother against her。 Other suitors；
upon whom her mother had smiled； had been embarrassed by that
championship； Mark appeared to depend on it as much as on his own
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The Red House Mystery
attractions； great though he thought these to be。 They went a…wooing
together。 It was a pleasure to turn to Cayley； that hopeless ineligible。
But alas！ Cayley had misunderstood her。 She could not imagine
Cayley in love until she saw it； and tried； too late； to stop it。 That was four
days ago。 She had not seen him since； and now here was this letter。
She dreaded opening it。 It was a relief to feel that at least she had an
excuse for not doing so while her guests were in the house。
Mrs。 Norbury recognized at once that Antony was likely to be the
more sympathetic listener； and when tea was over； and Bill and Angela
had been dispatched to the garden with the promptness and efficiency of
the expert； dear Mr。 Gillingham found himself on the sofa beside her；
listening to many things which were of even greater interest to him than
she could possibly have hoped。
〃It is terrible； terrible；〃 she said。 〃And to suggest that dear Mr。 Ablett
…〃
Antony made suitable noises。
〃You've seen Mr。 Ablett for yourself。 A kinder； more warmhearted
man …〃
Antony explained that he had not seen Mr。 Ablett。
〃Of course； yes； I was forgetting。 But； believe me； Mr。 Gillingham；
you can trust a woman's intuition in these matters。〃
Antony said that he was sure of this。
〃Think of my feelings as a mother。〃
Antony was thinking of Miss Norbury's feelings as a daughter； and
wondering if she guessed that her affairs were now being discussed with a
stranger。 Yet what could he do？ What； indeed； did he want to do except
listen； in the hope of learning？ Mark engaged； or about to be engaged！
Had that any bearing on the events of yesterday？ What； for instance；
would Mrs。 Norbury have thought of brother Robert； that family skeleton？
Was this another reason for wanting brother Robert out of the way？
〃I never liked him； never！〃
〃Never liked？〃 said Antony； bewildered。
〃That cousin of his Mr。 Cayley。〃
〃Oh！〃
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〃I ask you； Mr。 Gillingham； am I the sort of woman to trust my little
girl to a man who would go about shooting his only brother？〃
〃I'm sure you wouldn't； Mrs。 Norbury。〃
〃If there has been any shooting done； it has been done by somebody
else。〃
Antony looked at her inquiringly。
〃I never liked him；〃 said Mrs。 Norbury firmly。 〃Never。〃 However；
thought Antony to himself； that didn't quite prove that Cayley was a
murderer。
〃How did Miss Norbury get on with him？〃 he asked cautiously。
〃There was nothing in that at all；〃 said Miss Norbury's mother
emphatically。 〃Nothing。 I would say so to anybody。〃
〃Oh； I beg your pardon。 I never meant …〃
〃Nothing。 I can say that for dear Angela with perfect confidence。
Whether he made advances …〃 She broke off with a shrug of her plump
shoulders。
Antony waited eagerly。
〃Naturally they met。 Possibly he might have … I don't know。 But my
duty as a mother was clear； Mr。 Gillingham。〃
Mr。 Gillingham made an encouraging noise。
〃I told him quite frankly that … how shall I put it？ … that he was
trespassing。 Tactfully； of course。 But frankly。〃
〃You mean；〃 said Antony； trying to speak calmly； 〃that you told him
that … er … Mr。 Ablett and your daughter …？〃
Mrs。 Norbury nodded several times。
〃Exactly； Mr。 Gillingham。 I had my duty as a mother。〃
〃I am sure； Mrs。 Norbury； that nothing would keep you from doing
your duty。 But it must have been disagreeable。 Particularly if you
weren't quite sure 〃
〃He was attracted； Mr。 Gillingham。 Obviously attracted。〃
〃Who would not be？〃 said Antony； with a charming smile。 〃It must
have been something of a shock to him to …〃
〃It was just that which made me so glad that I had spoken。 I saw at
once that I had not spoken a moment too soon。〃
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〃There must have been a certain awkwardness about the next
meeting；〃 suggested Antony。
〃Naturally； he has not been here since。 No doubt they would have
been bound to meet up at the Red House sooner or later。〃
〃Oh； … this was only quite lately？〃
〃Last week； Mr。 Gillingham。 I spoke just in time。
〃Ab！〃 said Antony； under his breath。 He had been waiting for it。
He would have liked now to have gone away； so that he might have
thought over the new situation by himself； or； perhaps preferably； to have
changed partners for a little while with Bill。 Miss Norbury would hardly
be ready to confide in a stranger with the readiness of a mother； but he
might have learnt something by listening to her。 For which of them had
she the greater feeling Cayley or Mark？ Was she really prepared to
marry Mark？ Did she love him or the other … or neither？ Mrs。 Norbury
was only a trustworthy witness in regard to her own actions and thoughts；
he had learnt all that was necessary of those； and only the daughter now
had anything left to tell him。 But Mrs。 Norbury was still talking。
〃Girls are so foolish； Mr。 Gillingham；〃 she was saying。 〃It is
fortunate that they have mothers to guide them。 It was so obvious to me
from the beginning that dear Mr。 Ablett was just the husband for my little
girl。 You never knew him？〃
Antony said again that he had not seen Mr。 Ablett。
〃Such a gentleman。 So nice…looking； in his artistic way。 A regular
Velasquez … I should say Van Dyck。 Angela would have it that she could
never marry a man with a beard。 As if that mattered； when …〃 She broke
off； and Antony finished her sentence for her。
〃The Red House is certainly charming；〃 he said。
〃Charming。 Quite charming。 And it is not as if Mr。 Ablett's
appearance were in any way undistinguished。 Quite the contrary。 I'm
sure you agree with me？〃
Antony said that he had never had the pleasure of seeing Mr。 Ablett。
〃Yes。 And quite the centre of the literary and artistic world。 So
desirable in every way。〃
She gave a deep sigh； and communed with herself for a little。 Antony
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was； about to snatch the opportunity of leaving； when Mrs。 Norbury began
again。
〃And then there's this scapegrace brother of his。 He was perfectly
frank with me； Mr。 Gillingham。 He would be。 He told me of this
brother； and I told him that I was quite certain it would make no difference
to my daughter's feelings for him。。。。 After all； the brother was in
Australia。〃
〃When was this？ Yesterday？〃 Antony felt that； if Mark had only
mentioned it after his brother's announcement of a personal call at the Red
House； this perfect frankness had a good deal of wisd