“He won’t.  Lady Gertrude had a heart attack yesterday, and as Isobel Carson’s away, Roger, of course, has to stay with his mother.  He ’phoned Nan last night.”

“I think that safeguards everything this end, then,” replied Sandy, heaving a sigh of relief.  “Allah is very good!”

After that, being a man with a long journey in front of him, he sensibly applied himself to the consumption of bacon and eggs, while Kitty, being a woman, made a poor attempt at swallowing a cup of tea.

Half an hour later he was ready to start for home.

“It’s the slenderest chance, Kitty,” he reminded, her gravely.  “They may not go near London. . . .  But it’s the only chance!”

“I know,” she assented with equal gravity.

“And in any case I can’t get her back here till the morning. . . .  Good heavens!”—­a new thought striking him.  “What about the mater?  She’ll be scared stiff if I don’t turn up in the evening!  Probably she’ll ring up the police, thinking we’ve had a smash-up in the car.  That would settle everything!”

“Don’t worry about it,” urged Kitty.  “I’ll invent something—­’phone her later on to say you’re stopping here for the night.”

Sandy nodded soberly.

“That’ll do it, and I’ll—­Oh, hang!  What about your servants?  They’ll talk.”

“And I shall lie,” replied Kitty valiantly.  “Nan will be staying the night with friends. . . .  Each of you stopping just where you aren’t!”—­with a short strained laugh.  “Oh, leave things to me at this end!  I’ll manage, somehow.  Only bring her back—­bring her back, Sandy!”

CHAPTER XXXIII

KEEPING FAITH

It was not until Sandy was actually in the express heading for London that he realised quite all the difficulties which lay ahead.  He was just a big-hearted, impulsive boy, and, without wasting time in futile blame or vain regrets, he had plunged straight into the maelstrom which had engulfed his pal, determined to help her back to shore.

But, assuming he was right in his surmise that Rooke would take Nan first of all to London, he doubted his own ability to persuade her to return with him, and even if he were successful in this, there still remained the outstanding fact that by no human means could she reach Mallow until the small hours of the morning.  He could well imagine the consternation and scandal which would ensue should she arrive back at the Court about five o’clock A.M.!

In a place like Mallow, where there was a large staff of indoor and outdoor servants, it would be practically impossible to secure Nan’s return there unobserved.  And as far as the neighbourhood—­and Roger Trenby—­were concerned, she might just as well run away with Maryon Rooke as return with Sandy McBain at that ungodly hour!  She would be equally compromised.  Besides, Kitty would have informed her household that she was not expecting Miss Davenant back that night.