“So I understood. Tell me what happened, please; just in your own words.” “She came in that afternoon shortly before four, all fussed like and hurrying, and said she was leaving immediately for New York. She said she had just had a cable that Mr. Vane had had an accident there, and they were afraid he wouldn’t get over it. She said for cook to get her some tea while I helped her pack. She just threw her clothes in her suitcases. My word, if I had done packing like that I shouldn’t half have copped it! By the time she’d finished, cook had tea ready, and while mistress was having it, cook and I packed. I started to clear away the tea things, but mistress said there wasn’t time for that, for me just to leave them and run out and get two taxis. She said there was a special for the American boat that she must catch. So I got the taxis, and she got into one and cook and I into the other, and we drove away together, and that’s all I know about it.” “What time was that?” “About half-past four, I should think. I didn’t look.” “Where did you get the taxis?” “On the stand at the end of Gardiner Street.” “Who gave Mrs. Vane’s taxi man his address?” “I did. It was Euston.” “It was rather hard lines on you and the cook, turning you out like that at a moment’s notice. I hope she made it up to you?” Miss Scott smiled scornfully. “That was all right,” she answered. “We told her about it, and she gave us a fiver apiece, as well as our month’s wages.” “Not so bad,” French admitted. “Who locked up the house?” “She did, and took the key.” “And what happened to you and cook?” “We drove on here and I got out. This is my sister’s house, you understand. Cook went on to Paddington. She lives in Reading or somewhere down that way. Mrs. Vane said that when she came back she would look us up, and if we were disengaged we could come back to her. But she said not to keep out of a place for her, as she didn’t know how long she might have to stay in America.” French paused in thought, then went on: “Was Mrs. Vane much from home while you were with her?” “No, she was only away once. But she stayed over three weeks that time. It’s a bit strange that it was an accident, too. Her sister in Scotland fell and broke her collar bone, so she told us, and she had to go to keep house till she was better. Somewhere in Scotland, she said.” “When was that?” The girl hesitated. “I don’t know that I could say exactly,” she answered at last. “She’s back about six weeks or two months, and she left over three weeks before that, about a couple of weeks after I went. Say about ten weeks altogether.” This was distinctly satisfactory. Mrs. Vane’s absence seemed to cover the period of Mrs. X’s visit to America. “I should like to fix the exact dates if I could,” French persisted, “or at least the date she came back. Just think, will you, please. Is there nothing you can remember by?”