IV

IV.

He was worried as he drew near home next afternoon, possessed of a dark, unfounded fear. It was based, of course, on his own silly transgression. Stella would somehow hear of it. In his reaction from the debonair confidence of last night, it seemed inevitable that Stella would hear of it.

“Who’s here?” he asked the butler immediately.

“No one, sir. The Ameses came about an hour ago, but there was no word, so they went on. They said——”

“Isn’t my wife here?”

“Mrs. Frothington left yesterday just after you.”

The whips of panic descended upon him.

“How long after me?”

“Almost immediately, sir. The telephone rang and she answered it, and almost immediately she had her bag packed and left the house.”

“Mr. Ad Haughton didn’t come?”

“I haven’t seen Mr. Haughton.”

It had happened. The spirit of adventure ……