The housemaids had just finished with Miss Conyngham's room and were sweeping the hall; Joey shut the door to get away from the dust and noise, and asked for Colonel Sturt's number at the Exchange. She got it; but it was an unfamiliar voice that answered her: "Her ladyship is not yet down, and cannot be disturbed." "Is Miss Grace there?" asked Joey. "Miss Grace is not yet down." "Is anybody?" Joey asked, hoping sincerely that she would not be obliged to talk to Colonel Sturt. "Mr. John is, miss; would you wish to speak to him?" "Please," Joey said, relieved; and a minute later heard the heavy thump of crutches, and a decorous voice saying, "A young lady to speak to you, sir." Joey squeezed the receiver vigorously. "That you, John? It's Joey speaking. Can you really walk about now? How topping!" "Yes, rather--I'm getting along fine with crutches," was John's cheerful answer. "I say, why can't you come on Sunday, young 'un? You'll find Gracie quite different this time...." "I can come now, if Cousin Greta doesn't mind my changing," Joey explained. "The Coll got gated, and now it's un-gated, that's all; and I'm going to the match at Deeping Royal this afternoon, and I'd like to come over to you to-morrow no end if I may, and tell you about it." "Righto. I'll tell my aunt. She'll be awfully pleased. You may take it she'll fetch you for lunch. I say, like to do some more signalling?" "Oh yes, John. Do you know our Stinks Professor here is frightfully good at that? I saw him the other night...." "_What?_ Don't you go to bed at night at Redlands?" "Of course, you stupid. The Professor was doing it at night, not me. I saw him out of my window." "Signalling practice all by himself in the middle of the night? Tell that to someone younger, my dear Kid." Joey took no notice of the jeer. "John, isn't dot, dash, dash, dash, J?" she demanded. "Yes, rather!" "And dot-dash is A?" "Of course." "Then what does Ja spell?" "All by itself?" "All by itself." "It's the German for yes," John told her, after a second's pause. "But your Stinks man is French, isn't he?" "Yes; Professor Trouville." "Was that _all_ his signalling you saw?" "That wasn't his signalling." "Whose was it?" "I don't know. It seemed to come from a long way off." "You said the Professor signalled?" "Yes; he did first." "What?" "It seemed like 31." "Thirty-one?" "Yes." "Funny--that's to-day," John said. "Joey." "Yes." "I think you had better come over here; I'll ask Cousin Greta to send for you. Come to-day, I mean, and not wait for to-morrow." "_John?_ I can't to-day--it's the match." "Well, I'll take you on to it in the car." "It's frightfully nice of you--but, you see, I was going with Gabby and Noreen, my specialist friends." "I'll ask Aunt Greta to ask the whole boiling of you to lunch then," John said, impatiently. "So long, Joey. I can't tell you any more till I know it myself. But you come along if you're sent for."