previous
evening, and being busily engaged upon domestic duties, she sent me to
join her father under the shade of a big tree on the lawn. There solaced
by an iced lemon squash and the newspaper, I managed to pass the morning
very comfortably. Mannering gave no sign of existence.

I took myself home for lunch, remembering letters I had to write. I felt
much easier in mind, and made a hearty meal in consequence. The result
was that I fell asleep over my cigar afterwards.

I awoke suddenly, wondering where I was. Then I thought I must have
slept for hours, for a blackness only one degree less than that of night
brooded over the earth. I took out my watch lazily, and was surprised to
see that the hands only pointed to five. I sat still for a minute or two
striving to collect my thoughts, for my head was heavy. I held my watch
to my ear. It had not stopped. I jumped up and walked to the window, and
I saw at once the reason why I had imagined that night had fallen. From
east to west and from north to south a dense pall of cloud hung over
the earth. Not a leaf moved, and except for the shrill chirp of a
grasshopper, not a sound broke the uncanny stillness.

"By Jove!" I muttered, "we are going to have it hot."

There came upon me an intense desire to be near Evie during the progress
of the storm which threatened every moment to break. I did not wait to
analyse the feeling, but catching up my hat I bolted straight out of the
window. I had only a couple of hundred yards to traverse, but when I
reached the Colonel's house, so hot and heavy was the air, that I was
soaked from head to foot in perspiration. I paused at the gate to wipe
my brow with my handkerchief, and at the moment the storm broke. I heard
the crackle of the lightning as it slid from the sky, and the thunder
clap followed so swiftly that for a moment I felt deafened. I waited no
longer, but raced across the lawn and into the open French window of the
drawing-room. The apartment was unoccupied, so I passed through into the
hall. That was vacant too, and I continued my search through the
morning-room to the Colonel's sanctum. There I saw the genial warrior
standing at the window, and watching the play of the lightning with
every appearance of interest.

"Hullo, Colonel!" I said. "Where's Evie?"

"Isn't she in the drawing-room? She was there twenty minutes ago," he
replied.

"She is not there now, I have just come through," I explained.

"Then I fancy she w