? ? ? ? "That is the exact situation. Watson was asking for orders."
? ? ? ? "And so do I."
? ? ? ? "Very good. You are engaged, as I understand, to dine with our friends the Stapletons to-night."
? ? ? ? "I hope that you will come also. They are very hospitable people, and I am sure that they would be very glad to see you."
? ? ? ? "I fear that Watson and I must go to London."
? ? ? ? "To London?"
? ? ? ? "Yes, I think that we should be more useful there at the present juncture."
? ? ? ? The baronet's face perceptibly lengthened.
? ? ? ? "I hoped that you were going to see me through this business. The Hall and the moor are not very pleasant places when one is alone."
? ? ? ? "My dear fellow, you must trust me implicitly and do exactly what I tell you. You can tell your friends that we should have been happy to have come with you, but that urgent business required us to be in town. We hope very soon to return to Devonshire. Will you remember to give them that message?"
? ? ? ? "If you insist upon it."
? ? ? ? "There is no alternative, I assure you."
? ? ? ? I saw by the baronet's clouded brow that he was deeply hurt by what he regarded as our desertion.
Pages:
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228