Lady Yardley did not answer. She held up her finger as if listening, not to what Violet said but to something inaudible to the others. Then she turned to the butler. “Give me my stick,” she said. “I hear wheels. That is Colin.” “No, Granny, he’s not coming to-night,” said Violet. Lady Yardley grasped her stick and had half-risen from her place, when there came a step along the gallery floor, and the door opened. “It is Colin,” said she. Colin entered: it was as if the sunlight came in with him. The room seemed to leap into brightness. “Ah, what a dreadful time to arrive!” he said. “Don’t get up anybody, or I shall go away again. Violet, darling! How blessed to see you! Granny, my dear Granny! Aunt Hester ... everybody. Just push me a chair in, and let me sit down with you. Where shall it be put? I don’t know. I want to sit next everybody.” He sat down between old Lady Yardley and Hester, and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m dusty, I’m dirty, I’m dishevelled,” he said, “but I needn’t go and wash, need I, Granny? I want dinner. Don’t send me away to wash, and brush my hair, as you used to do when I was little.” “I knew you were coming, Colin,” she said. “I told them all you were coming.” “You’re a witch, Granny,” he said. “I’m not sure you oughtn’t to be burned. You shall have your game of whist afterwards, and then we’ll make a fire of the cards and burn you. But you expected me, didn’t you? I telephoned, or somebody telephoned surely?” Colin knew that he had not telephoned, or told anybody to telephone: the fact that his statement was not true, made a mild reason for uttering it. It had only occurred to him a couple of hours ago to come down, and he had driven straight off with Nino, his young Italian servant. The image of Stanier, spacious and cool among its woods, had drifted across the reek of the grilling streets, and gave him the impulse: he never resisted an impulse.... “Darling Aunt Hester,” he said, “I couldn’t get on without you a minute more. Everyone in London was old and cross, and I wanted to feel young again. Good gracious me, have you got to dessert already? You mustn’t wait for me. My fault for being so late. Uncle Ronald will keep me company over his wine. No, I don’t want any soup. Give me some cold ham or something. Granny, I’m going to be like you for the future, and never leave Stanier any more. We’ll grow old together.” She was leaning forward, listening to him, and laid her hand on his. “No, Colin, you must never grow old,” she said. “You mustn’t grow old or die. It isn’t good to die. And you haven’t brought Raymond with you, have you? I don’t want Raymond.” Colin patted her hand. “No, he’s not come with me,” he said. “He couldn’t manage to come.” He spoke quickly and low to Violet. “Get up, dear, and take her away,” he said. “I want to have my dinner in peace.” “What is that you’re saying, Colin?” asked Lady Yardley.