Part 30 (1/2)

”Follow that!” said Edward Henry to the chauffeur and nipped into his brougha in the shaas Lord Woldo, but he was sure that itcarried to and fro aroves of Hyde Park (one of the few bits of London earth that did not belong to him or to his e waited Once Lord Woldo sat on a chair, but the chief nurse's lap was between hitonian accents, but he offered no replies

”Go back to 262,” said Edward Henry to his chauffeur

Arrived again in Eaton Square, he did not give hirandiosity of the square in general, nor of No

262 in particular He just ran up the steps and rang the visitors'

bell

”After all,” he said to himself as he waited, ”these houses aren't even semi-detached! They're just houses in a row, and I bet every one of 'em can hear the piano next door!”

The butler whoreat portal

”I want to see Lady Woldo”

”Her ladyshi+p--” began the formidable official

”Now, look here, my man,” said Edward Henry, rather in desperation, ”I must see Lady Woldo instantly It's about the baby--”

”About his lordshi+p?”

”Yes And look lively, please”

He stepped into the sooing it--no -roolass ”No doubt because they're ashamed of the view,” he said to himself The size of the chi ”But what an old-fashi+oned grate!” he said to hiilt radiators here” The dooras a marvel of ornate sculpture, and he liked it He liked, too, the effect of the oil-paintings--mainly portraits--on the walls, and the is, and the leather-work of the chairs But there could be no question that the rooh to know the difference between a house and a church

There was a plunging noise at the door behind him

”What's amiss?” he heard a woman's voice And as he heard it he thrilled with sympathetic vibrations It was not a North Staffordshi+re voice, but it was a South Yorkshi+re voice, which is al It seetonian voice to soothe his ear since he had left the Five Towns Moreover, nobody born south of the Trent would have said, ”What's amiss?” A southerner would have said, ”What's the matter?” Or, more probably, ”What's the mattah?”

He turned and saw a breathless and very beautiful woman, of about twenty-nine or thirty, clothed in black, and she was in the act of reth of red flannel He noticed, too, si from a heavy cold A majestic footman behind her closed the door and disappeared

”Are you Lady Woldo?” Edward Henry asked

”Yes,” she said ”What's this about my baby?”

”I've just seen him in Hyde Park,” said Edward Henry ”And I observed that a rash had broken out all over his face”

”I know that,” she replied ”It began this , all of a sudden like But what of it? I was rather alarmed myself, as it's the first rash he's had and he's the first baby I've had--and he'll be the last too But everybody said it was nothing He's never been out without me before, but I had such a cold Now you don't mean to tell me that you've come down specially from Hyde Park to inform me about that rash I' breath

”I'ood deal of rash in our faood sound north-country reht like to know of it

So if you like I'll telegraph to my missis for the recipe Here's my card”

She read his name, title and address