answered, doggedly, "why one should not
attempt to understand them."

Mr. Jarvis had finished his telephoning. Fenella went up to him with
outstretched hand.

"Mr. Jarvis," she said, "there is nothing more I can do here. I am
very much upset. Will you take me out to my car, please? I know that
you will do the very best you can without Mr. Weatherley, and I am
glad that you have Mr. Chetwode to help you. I would come down
myself sometimes," she added, "but I am sure that I should only be
in the way. Good afternoon, Mr. Chetwode."

"You have not answered my question," he persisted.

She looked at him as a great lady would look at a presuming servant.

"I see no necessity," she replied. "I am too much upset to receive
visitors to-day. If you are ready, Mr. Jarvis."

She left the room without even a backward glance, closely followed
by the cashier. Arnold stood looking after the retreating figures
for a moment, then he turned away with a hard little laugh. Once
more he read and re-read Mr. Weatherley's letter. Before he had
finished, Mr. Jarvis came bustling back into the room.

"Well!" he exclaimed, dramatically. "Well!"

Arnold looked across at him.

"It's a queer business, isn't it?" he remarked.

"Queer business, indeed!" Mr. Jarvis repeated, sitting down and
wiping his forehead. "It's the most extraordinary thing I ever heard
of in my life. One doesn't read about such things even in books.
Mrs. Weatherley seems to take it quite calmly, but the more I think
of it, the more confused I become. What are we to do? Shall we go to
the police or write to the newspapers? Can't you suggest something?"

Arnold finally laid down the letter, which he now knew pretty well
by heart.

"It seems to me, Mr. Jarvis," he said, "that the thing for us to do
is to obey orders. Mr. Weatherley expressly writes that he wishes us
to take his absence, so far as possible, as a matter of course, and
to look after the business. The very fact that he puts it like that
makes it quite clear to me that he intends to return. My idea is
that we should follow the lines of his letter strictly."

"You are quite right, Chetwode," Mr. Jarvis decided. "I feel exactly
that way about the matter myself. We'll go right ahead with those
orders now, then, and we can have a chat about the matter again
after business hours, if you don't mind. It's hard to reconcile
oneself to taking this so easily, but I suppose it's the only thing
to do. I'll get out