"
"And if I have any inferences to draw from what I hear," said he
gravely, fixing me with his clear eye, "may I take the liberty of
acquainting you with them?"
"Certainly."
"Very good, sir," said Marigold.
Now what was Marigold going to draw inferences about? That was
another puzzle. I felt myself being drawn into a fog-filled
labyrinth of intrigue in which already groping were most of the
people I knew. What with the mysterious relations between Betty
and Boyce and Gedge, what with young Dacre's full exoneration of
Boyce, what with young Randall's split with Gedge and his
impeccable attitude towards Phyllis, things were complicated
enough; Sir Anthony's revelations regarding poor Althea and his
dark surmises concerning Randall complicated them still more; and
now comes Mrs. Holmes to tell me of Randall's mysterious
disappearance.
"A plague on the whole lot!" I exclaimed wrathfully.
I dined that evening with the Fenimores. My dear Betty was there
too, the only other guest, looking very proud and radiant. A
letter that morning from Willie Connor informed her that the
regiment, by holding a trench against an overwhelming German
attack, had achieved glorious renown.
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