Part 76 (1/2)
”I see. No doubt, Mrs. Baske?”
The certainty of this flashed upon Mallard. He had never seen Miriam walk by, but on the instant he comprehended her doing so. It was even possible, he thought, that, if she had not herself seen Cecily, some one in her employment had made the espial for her. The whole train of divination was perfect in his mind before Elgar spoke.
”It is nothing to the purpose who told me. My wife was here for a long time, and when she went away, you accompanied her.”
”I understand.”
”That is more than I do. Will you please to explain it?”
”You are accurately informed. Mrs. Elgar came here, naturally enough, to ask if I knew what had become of you.”
”And why should she come to _you_?”
”Because my letter to you lay open somewhere in your house, and she thought it possible we had been together.”
Elgar reflected. Yes, he remembered that the letter was left on his table.
”And where did she go afterwards? Where did you conduct her?”
”I went rather more than half-way home with her, in the cab” replied Mallard, somewhat doggedly. ”I supposed she was going on to Belsize Park.”
”Then you know nothing of her reason for not doing so?”
”Nothing whatever.”
Elgar became silent. The artist, after moving about quietly, turned to question him with black brows.
”Hasn't it occurred to you that she may have joined Mrs. Lessingham in the country?”
”She has taken nothing--not even a travelling-bag.”
”You come, of course, from the Spences' house?”
Elgar replied with an affirmative. As soon as he had done so, he remembered that this was as much as corroborating Mallard's conjecture with regard to Miriam; but for that he cared little. He had begun to discern something odd in the relations between Miriam and Mallard, and suspected that Cecily might in some way be the cause of it.
”Did they not at once suggest that she was with Mrs. Lessingham?”
Elgar muttered a ”No,” averting his face.
”What _did_ they suggest, then?”
”I saw only my sister,” said Reuben, irritably.
”And your sister thought I was the most likely person to know of Mrs.
Elgar's whereabouts?”
”Yes, she did.”
”I am sorry to disappoint you,” said Mallard, coldly. ”I have given you all the information I can.”