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Chapter 2
I
certainty. Behind them stood porters with suitcases. One of these called,
‘Jim!’
The driver of one of the taxis stepped forward.
‘You’m for Soldier Island, maybe?’ he asked in a soft Devon voice. Four
voices gave assent—and then immediately afterwards gave quick surrepti-
tious glances at each other.
The driver said, addressing his remarks to Mr Justice Wargrave as the
senior member of the party:
‘There are two taxis here, sir. One of them must wait till the slow train
from Exeter gets in—a matter of five minutes—there’s one gentleman
coming by that. Perhaps one of you wouldn’t mind waiting? You’d be
more comfortable that way.’
at once.
‘I’ll wait,’ she said, ‘if you will go on?’ She looked at the other three, her
glance and voice had that slight suggestion of command in it that comes
from having occupied a position of authority. She might have been direct-
ing which tennis sets the girls were to play in.
taxis, the door of which the driver was holding open.
Mr Justice Wargrave followed her.
Captain Lombard said:
‘I’ll wait with Miss—’
‘Claythorne,’ said Vera.
‘My name is Lombard, Philip Lombard.’
The porters were piling luggage on the taxi. Inside, Mr Justice Wargrave
said with due legal caution:
‘Beautiful weather we are having.’
Miss Brent said:
‘Yes, indeed.’
A very distinguished5 old gentleman, she thought to herself. Quite unlike
the usual type of man in seaside guest houses. Evidently Mrs or Miss
Oliver had good connections…
Mr Justice Wargrave inquired:
‘Do you know this part of the world well?’
‘I have been to Cornwall and to Torquay, but this is my first visit to this
part of Devon.’
The judge said:
‘I also am unacquainted with this part of the world.’
The taxi drove off.
The driver of the second taxi said:
‘Like to sit inside while you’re waiting?’
Vera said decisively:
‘Not at all.’
Captain Lombard smiled. He said:
‘That sunny wall looks more attractive. Unless you’d rather go inside the
station?’
He answered:
‘Yes, travelling by train is rather trying in this weather.’
Vera said conventionally:
‘I do hope it lasts—the weather, I mean. Our English summers are so
With a slight lack of originality9 Lombard asked:
‘Do you know this part of the world well?’
‘No, I’ve never been here before.’ She added quickly, conscientiously10 de-
termined to make her position clear at once, ‘I haven’t even seen my em-
ployer yet.’
‘Your employer?’
‘Yes, I’m Mrs Owen’s secretary.’
‘Oh, I see.’ Just imperceptibly his manner changed. It was slightly more
assured—easier in tone. He said: ‘Isn’t that rather unusual?’
Vera laughed.
‘Oh, no, I don’t think so. Her own secretary was suddenly taken ill and
she wired to an agency for a substitute and they sent me.’
‘So that was it. And suppose you don’t like the post when you’ve got
there?’
Vera laughed again.
‘Oh, it’s only temporary—a holiday post. I’ve got a permanent job at a
seeing Soldier Island. There’s been such a lot about it in the papers. Is it
really very fascinating?’
Lombard said:
‘I don’t know. I haven’t seen it.’
‘Oh, really? The Owens are frightfully keen on it, I suppose. What are
they like? Do tell me.’
Lombard thought: Awkward, this—am I supposed to have met them or
not? He said quickly:
‘Yes, I suppose it’s the heat. Who are we waiting for, do you know?’
‘I haven’t the least idea.’
The loud drawn-out scream of an approaching train was heard. Lom-
‘That will be the train now.’
It was a tall soldierly old man who appeared at the exit from the plat-
moustache.
His porter, staggering slightly under the weight of the solid leather suit-
case, indicated Vera and Lombard.
Vera came forward in a competent manner. She said:
‘I am Mrs Owen’s secretary. There is a car here waiting.’ She added,
‘This is Mr Lombard.’
The faded blue eyes, shrewd in spite of their age, sized up Lombard. For
‘Good-looking fellow. Something just a little wrong about him…’
The three of them got into the waiting taxi. They drove through the
sleepy streets of little Oakbridge and continued about a mile on the main
steep, green and narrow.
General Macarthur said:
‘Don’t know this part of Devon at all. My little place is in East Devon—
just on the border-line of Dorset.’
Vera said:
‘It really is lovely here. The hills and the red earth and everything so
green and luscious-looking.’
Philip Lombard said critically:
‘It’s a bit shut in…I like open country myself. Where you can see what’s
coming…’
General Macarthur said to him:
‘You’ve seen a bit of the world, I fancy?’
‘I’ve knocked about here and there, sir.’
He thought to himself: ‘He’ll ask me now if I was old enough to be in the
War. These old boys always do.’
But General Macarthur did not mention the War.
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