"I am not good at that sort of thing.

And who is she, anyhow ?" They were interrupted by a sudden knock at the door--not the discreet tap of a well-bred domestic, but a flurried, almost an imperative summons.

Before either of them could reply, the door was opened and Brookes, the elderly butler, presented himself upon the threshold.

Even before he spoke, it was clear that he brought alarming news.
"Will you step down to the library at once, sir ?" he begged, addressing Nigel.
"What is the matter, Brookes ?" Maggie demanded anxiously.
"I fear that his lordship is not well," the man replied.
They all hurried out together.

Brookes was evidently terribly perturbed and went on talking half to himself without heeding their questions.
"I thought at first that his lordship must have fainted," he said.