A Damsel in Distress

"I said she got into a cab. There was somebody else already in the

cab. A man. Aunt Caroline, it was the man."

"Good gracious," ejaculated Lady Caroline, falling into a chair as

if she had been hamstrung.

"I am absolutely convinced of it," proceeded Lord Belpher solemnly.

"His behaviour was enough to confirm my suspicions. The cab had

stopped in a block of the traffic, and I went up and requested him

in a perfectly civil manner to allow me to look at the lady who had

just got in. He denied that there was a lady in the cab. And I had

seen her jump in with my own eyes. Throughout the conversation he

was leaning out of the window with the obvious intention of

screening whoever was inside from my view. I followed him along

Piccadilly in another cab, and tracked him to the Carlton. When I

arrived there he was standing on the pavement outside. There were

no signs of Maud. I demanded that he tell me her whereabouts. . ."

"That reminds me," said Lord Marshmoreton cheerfully, "of a story I

read in one of the papers. I daresay it's old. Stop me if you've

heard it. A woman says to the maid: 'Do you know anything of my

husband's whereabouts?' And the maid replies--"

"Do be quiet," snapped Lady Caroline. "I should have thought that

you would be interested in a matter affecting the vital welfare of

your only daughter."

"I am. I am," said Lord Marshmoreton hastily. "The maid replied:

'They're at the wash.' Of course I am. Go on, Percy. Good God, boy,

don't take all day telling us your story."

"At that moment the fool of a policeman came up and wanted to know

what the matter was. I lost my head. I admit it freely. The

policeman grasped my shoulder, and I struck him."

"Where?" asked Lord Marshmoreton, a stickler for detail.

"What does that matter?" demanded Lady Caroline. "You did quite

right, Percy. These insolent jacks in office ought not to be

allowed to manhandle people. Tell me, what this man was like?"

"Extremely ordinary-looking. In fact, all I can remember about him

was that he was clean-shaven. I cannot understand how Maud could

have come to lose her head over such a man. He seemed to me to

have no attraction whatever," said Lord Belpher, a little

unreasonably, for Apollo himself would hardly appear attractive

when knocking one's best hat off.

"It must have been the same man."

"Precisely. If we wanted further proof, he was an American. You

recollect that we heard that the man in Wales was American."