Even Mrs.
Packard did not feel at liberty to disturb him in his study.

I must wait for his reappearance, and in the meantime divert myself as best I could.
I caught up a magazine, but speedily dropped it to cast a quick glance around the room.

Had I heard anything?
No.

The house was perfectly still, save for the sound of conversation in the drawing-room.

Yet I found it hard to keep my eyes upon the page.