at Miss Dolly was done for, and I did not believe that the day could
pass and keep the police from Lord Badington's doorstep.

I should tell you that Moss had called at the police station at
Sandwich as we drove through, and that a sergeant and a constable came
over to the inn on bicycles about midday. Their questioning me helped
them a mighty lot, for I contrived to look as foolish as a yokel when
you ask him the way to Nowhere; and all I could tell them was that the
lady had come down upon Lord Badington's invitation, and, when she was
tired of it, I supposed she would go away again. All of which they
took down in pocket-books about as large as a family Bible, and then
set out for the house, while I watched them with my heart in my very
boots, and the sort of feeling that might overtake a man if the police
set out to arrest his own sweetheart.

Biggs, I should tell you, was with me when this happened, and mighty
curious he was about it all. Of course, I told him that Moss was
making a fool of himself, and that there would be a pretty action
afterwards if he didn't behave properly to Miss Dolly. None the less,
he was just as curious as I was, and directly the other party had left,
we followed on their heels, and were through the lodge gates almost as
soon as they were. As for Lal Britten, his heart went pat-a-pat, like
a girl's at a wedding. I could have knocked Moss down cheerful, and
paid forty bob for doing it with the greatest pleasure in my life. But
that wouldn't have helped Miss Dolly, you see, so I just trudged up the
drive after Moss, and said nothing whatever to anybody.

Bless us all--how the chap did walk. There he was, head bent down,
shoulders sagging, his step shuffling as though he wore slippers, and
in his eyes that money fever which, to me, is one of the most awful
things in all the world. Even the police were rather disgusted with
him, I think, and the sergeant told me afterwards that he would have
paid fifty pounds to have got out of the job. For that matter, neither
he nor his underling said a word to Moss when they rang at the front
door bell, and they didn't seem to think it at all wonderful that Biggs
and I should be upon the doorstep with them. So all together we waited
quite a long time before old Hill, the butler, came jauntily along the
great corridor, and opened to us very deliberately. And now for it, I
thought--and oh, my poor Dolly, whatever is going to happen to you!

"Pa