fterwards, as a significant thing that it was
neither he nor Mr. Tertius who took the first steps towards immediate
action. Even as he spoke, Peggie was summoning the butler, and her
orders were clear and precise.

"Kitteridge," she said quietly, "order Robson to bring the car round at
once--as quickly as possible. In the meantime, send some coffee into the
breakfast-room--breakfast itself must wait until we return. Make haste,
Kitteridge."

Selwood turned on her with a doubtful look.

"You--you aren't going down there?" he asked.

"Of course I am!" she answered. "Do you think I should wait here--wondering
what had happened? We will all go--come and have some coffee, both of you,
while we wait for the car."

The two followed her into the breakfast-room and silently drank the
coffee which she presently poured out for them. She, too, was silent,
but when she had left the room to make ready for the drive Mr. Tertius
turned to Selwood.

"You heard--what?" he asked.

"Nothing definite," answered Selwood. "All I heard was that Mr.
Herapath was there, and there was something seriously wrong, and would
we go down at once."

Mr. Tertius made no comment. He became thoughtful and abstracted, and
remained so during the journey down to Kensington. Peggie, too, said
nothing as they sped along; as for Selwood, he was wondering what had
happened, and reflecting on this sudden stirring up of mystery. There was
mystery within that car--in the person of Mr. Tertius. During his three
weeks' knowledge of the Herapath household Selwood had constantly wondered
who Mr. Tertius was, what his exact relationship was, what his position
really was. He knew that he lived in Jacob Herapath's house, but in a
sense he was not of the family. He seldom presented himself at Herapath's
table, he was rarely seen about the house; Selwood remembered seeing him
occasionally in Herapath's study or in Peggie Wynne's drawing-room. He had
learnt sufficient to know that Mr. Tertius had rooms of his own in the
house; two rooms in some upper region; one room on the ground-floor. Once
Selwood had gained a peep into that ground-floor room, and had seen that
it was filled with books, and that its table was crowded with papers, and
he had formed the notion that Mr. Tertius was some book-worm or antiquary,
to whom Jacob Herapath for some reason or other gave house-room. That
he was no relation Selwood judged from the way in which he was always
addressed by Herap