"I should gather, from what I heard, that his position here had become a little precarious.

Hence his sudden disappearance." "But he is coming back again," Philippa reminded her husband.
"Perhaps!" Philippa signified her desire that her husband should remain a little behind with her.

They walked side by side up the gravel path.

Philippa kept her hands clasped behind her.
"To leave the subject of Mr.Lessingham for a time," she began, "I feel very reluctant to ask for explanations of anything you do, but I must confess to a certain curiosity as to why I should find you lunching at the Canton with two very beautiful ladies, a few days ago, when you left here with Jimmy Dumble to fish for whiting; and also why you return here on a trawler which belongs to another part of the coast ?" Sir Henry made a grimace.
"I was beginning to wonder whether curiosity was dead," he observed good-humouredly.

"If you wouldn't mind giving me another--well, to be on the safe side let us say eight days--I think I shall be able to offer you an explanation which you will consider satisfactory." "Thank you," Philippa rejoined, with cold surprise; "I see no reason why you should not answer such simple questions at once." Sir Henry sighed deprecatingly, and made another vain attempt to take his wife's arm.
"Philippa, be a little brick," he begged.