Therefore again I left Euston, and, traveling through the night, took my seat at the breakfast-table at Greenlaw next morning.
Sir George, who was sitting alone--it not being my aunt's habit to appear early--welcomed me, and then in his bluff manner sniffed and exclaimed: "Nice goings on up at Rannoch! Have you heard of them ?" "No.

What ?" I cried breathlessly, staring at him.
"Well, my suspicions that those Leithcourts were utter outsiders turns out to be about correct." "Why ?" "Well, it's a very funny story, and there are a dozen different distorted versions of it," he said.

"But from what I can gather the true facts are these: About seven o'clock the night before last, as Leithcourt and his house-party were dressing for dinner, a telegram arrived.

Mrs.Leithcourt opened it, and at once went off into hysterics, while her husband, in a breathless hurry, slipped off his evening clothes again and got into an old blue serge suit, tossed a few things into a bag, and then went along to Muriel's room to urge her to prepare for secret flight." "Flight!" I gasped.

"What, have they gone ?" "Listen, and I'll tell you.