The servant goes off to look for Mark, and Cayley goes
on with his book. Mark comes down the stairs, warns Cayley to
stand by in case he is wanted, and goes to meet his brother.
What does Cayley expect? Possibly that he won't be wanted at
all; possibly that his advice may be wanted in the matter, say,
of paying Robert's debts, or getting him a passage back to
Australia; possibly that his physical assistance may be wanted to
get an obstreperous Robert out of the house. Well, he sits there
for a moment, and then goes into the library. Why not? He is
still within reach, if wanted. Suddenly he hears a pistol-shot.
A pistol-shot is the last noise you expect to hear in a
country-house; very natural, then, that for the moment he would
hardly realize what it was. He listens--and hears nothing more.
Perhaps it wasn't a pistol-shot after all. After a moment or two
he goes to the library door again. The profound silence makes
him uneasy now. Was it a pistol-shot? Absurd! Still--no harm
in going into the office on some excuse, just to reassure
himself.
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