Hilda, after the manner of American girls, walked "right in," and Mr Twisegood had soon invited her to look over the house. Raife took Mr Muirhead into the parlour, saying: "Now, sir, you have mixed some delightful cocktails for me in Cairo; will you allow me to introduce to you an old English coaching drink in an old English coaching and posting-house? Mary!" In response to his call a rosy-cheeked, buxom maid appeared. "Bring two glasses of sloe gin and put them in two of those old `rummers.' Bring me the bottle and I will pour them out," were Raife's instructions. There was no time to contrast the merits of sloe gin with cocktails, for Hilda's voice was heard from the top of the staircase. "Father, oh, do come! Here's the sweetest old room I ever saw. It's all white, and smells of lavender." They climbed the staircase and entered the room. Whilst they were admiring the whiteness and the quaintness of it, Raife's mind was charged with the memory of the last occasion when he had been there, and of other curious occasions. He remembered his meeting there with Gilda Tempest, dressed as a hospital nurse; his mother outside the door and Gilda escaping by the secret staircase to the loose box in the stable below. Altogether he was sorry he had brought them to the "Blue Boar." He crossed the room and looked through the latticed window into the stable-yard. Another car had arrived, and the chauffeur was just starting under the archway. The sight of that chauffeur was strangely reminiscent. His coat was open and betrayed a loose, flowing black necktie. Was it possible--could it be that infernal Apache fellow? What was he doing there? Was there no rest from this vigilant spectre who traced him everywhere? Raife was maddened with the combination of incidents which had spoilt his return to Aldborough Park with his fiancee. Making an excuse to leave the room, he ran downstairs, and, hastily swallowing a full glass of the abandoned sloe gin, he went into the yard and asked the chauffeur: "Did you see the number of that car that was here just now?" "No, sir," came from the man. He found the solitary ostler and asked him whether he knew the car or anything about it. The man had been feeding the horse in the loose box and had not seen the car. Raife was a good-tempered man, but he was morose for a while. After the disconcerting incident of the stable-yard, and the somewhat mixed recollections caused by the visit to the white room, Raife decided that it was best to drive straight to Aldborough Park, and postpone the stroll through the town. As they drove, the apparition of Gilda Tempest in the garb of a hospital nurse, yielding to his caresses in the white room, haunted his mind. He had waived aside the Apache spectre. He could fight him, but he could not fight this apparition. Hilda Muirhead sat opposite to him. Presently she said: "You look troubled, Raife. Has anything real serious happened?"