Evening star., 1924-07-03
CONTINUED from Yesterdays STAR

And after that you'll take your
orders from Mr.. Cranage as to COM
ing back" she concluded. THE pres
ent thing is-straight there without
stop"
l got into the car and we moved
off, Lady Renardsmere giving me a
sort of half-warning, half-admoni-
l knew what she meant, it was a
reminder of what she had said to me
in her room. And as we cleared the
village and struck out for the Lon
don and Portsmouth road six miles
away across country, / wondered why
she was SO anxious that there should
be no break in my journey between
Renard"nere House and Lncoln's s
Inn Fields. Those were not the days
of highwaymen. But what was it
waite? Evidently something of great
value or Importance, small as it was.
Did she fear that / might be stop
ped-in broad daylight, on a pleas
ant springtide afternoon? The idea
seemed ridiculous-and yet, her anx-
iety had been real enough-so real.
indeed, that it communicated itself
to me in some degree, and my only
concern was to get to town and dis
charge my commission as speedily
as possible. And 1 had nothing to
complain of in Walkers shares of
don road at Petersfield he bowled
along that famous highway at rare
turn of speed and eventually turned
out of kingsway into Lincoln's Inn
Fields at precisely twenty-five min
utes to 5.
Mr.. Pennithwaite's office (Pennith-
waite, Mallaby & Pennithwaite)
was on the south side of the Fields
one of those old houses which have
survived the senseless craze of re-
building and restoration, and remain
to show us how much more taste in
architecture our great-grandfath-
ers had than we have. And Mr.. Pen
nithwaite was in, and received me
in A great room with beautifully
nodded ceiling and fine fireplace
have looked out of place in any other
surroundings. being himself of a SOL
emn and old-fashioned type-and to
him, having been assured that he
was Mr.. Pennithwaite, l delivered up
letter and parcel. He read the let
parcel with him, he retired into an
inner room. He remained there some
little time. When he came back
having presumably left the parcel
or it's contents behind--he sat down
at his desk, rapidly wrote something
and sealed it and handed it to me
with a polite bow.
Just to let Lady Renardsmere
know that you have safely delivered
smirk. Then he inspected me more
carefully. Her ladyship's new sec
retary, I think?" he added.
"Just 50, Mr.. Pennithwaite," I an
swered
He rose and offered me his hand.
You'll find her a very good mis-
tress," he said. "eccentric--but good
hearted. I wish you good day"
1 went out to Walker and the car,
immensely relieved somehow, to
have got rid Of that mysterious little
parcel Walker and 1 arranged mat
to Lady Renardsmere's town house
in Park Lane, get his tea there and
meet me at a certain spot near Pic
cad1lly Circus at precisely half past
eight. He went off-and I strolled
idly away, to enjoy spell of lib
look round the Haymarket and
Coventry street and finally, at just
after 6 o'clock. turned into the
Trocadero, bent on good and lei
surely dinner.
Early as it was. the place was al
ready pretty full, and during the
next hour it became fuller-by the
big room in which I was dining was
not far from being packed. My long
ride had made me hungry. however,
people near me. But as my appe-
tite became satisfied 1 began to look
around and about and suddenly, at
the far end of the room at a table
set In a corner but full in the light,
saw Neamore and with him
Holliment'
There was no mistake on my part
about it-there they were, dining to-
gether. The room was not 50 big,
nor the distance SO great, that I
could not see them clearly. They
had a big bottle of champagne be-
tween them and they were eating
and drinking voraciously. But also
they were in close and earnest con-
versadon. SO close that they gave
no attention to anything or anybody
outside themselves Holliment-
with Neamore, to whom Lady Rem
ardxmere had paid ten Thousand