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proceeded.
    “Since we are all cousins, I propose that we should address one another without handles. Plain Christian names will be sufficient until intimacy warrants some affectionate contraction. But I am afraid I startled Mildred. I apologize. I was merely about to enquire whether she could get away for the week-end.”
    Miss Taverner clasped and reclasped the errant bag. A piece of the handkerchief stuck out. It was the one she had intended to put into the wash before she came out. “Oh dear, oh dear—” She sought for words in very much the same way as she had fumbled for the overflow from her bag.
    “Oh, yes—oh dear—I’m so sorry—the catch should be seen to, but there never seems to be time. My partner, Miss Millington, will take charge, and we always shut on Saturday afternoons. I’m sure it’s very kind.” Her lips continued to move as they repeated soundlessly, “Oh dear—a hundred pounds—oh dear, oh dear, oh dear—”
    Jacob dismissed her with a nod.
    “And you, Florence?”
    She gave him the same straight, bold look as she had done before.
    “Yes. I’ll come. I’d like to see the old place. I’ve a friend that comes in to give me a hand when I’m pressed, and I don’t open Sundays. She’ll manage.”
    “And you, Al Miller? Let me see, you’re a railway employee, aren’t you—Ledlington Station—porter?”
    “That’s right. I could get off Saturday evening.”
    Jacob nodded.
    “The inn is only three and a half miles out of Ledlington. You’ve got a bike, I take it. You can come along when you come off duty. That suit you?”
    Al Miller thought, “What’s he getting at? A hundred pounds would suit anyone, wouldn’t it?” He jerked his head and said it suited him all right.
    Jacob said, “Well, we’re getting along. Marian has already told us that she and Freddy can come. Now what about you, John?”
    John Higgins said in his pleasant country voice,
    “No, thank you, Cousin Jacob.”
    The monkey face screwed itself into a vexed grimace.
    “My dear chap, why not?”
    “I’ve my reasons, thanking you all the same.”
    “Come, come—there’s a hundred pounds just waiting to be picked up.”
    The blue eyes rested calmly upon him.
    “If I’d a good reason for coming, I’d come. Since I’ve my reasons for staying away, I’ll stay.”
    “And the hundred pounds?”
    “You’re welcome to it, Cousin Jacob.”
    Jane found her hands clapping themselves together softly in her lap. She looked sideways at Jeremy and saw that he was extremely angry. It was all very nicely controlled, but she didn’t trust him a yard. If she didn’t take things into her own hands, he was going to put his foot down, or something stupid like that.
    She reflected that men were quite dreadfully Early Victorian. In point of fact she didn’t suppose there had ever been a century in which they didn’t throw right back to the cave man and announce that their will was law. Not really civilized, that was the trouble. She gave him a look and said without waiting to be asked,
    “I’d love to come, Cousin Jacob. It’s frightfully nice of you to ask us. I get Saturday afternoon and Sunday off, but I shall have to be back at half past nine on Monday.”
    Jeremy had a rush of blood to the head. He experienced some primitive reactions. Bounce him, would she? Well, he would show her. And if she thought—if she thought for one minute that he was going to let her off with this gang and without him to that God-forsaken inn with its shady past and Lord knows what kind of a present, well—
    Jacob Taverner was addressing him.
    “And you, Jeremy?”
    He answered with controlled politeness.
    “Thank you, sir. I am on leave—I shall be able to come.”
    CHAPTER 5
    When they had walked half the length of the street Jane smiled sweetly at an unresponsive profile and said,
    “Thank you, darling.”
    In a distant voice Captain Jeremy Taverner enquired what she was thanking him for.
    “Coming down to the