"Me suppose? Why, I never asked myself the question. He did know--that was all about it. Still, if I had to explain it, I should say it was some kind of an instinct." And Richard mercifully forebore to ask Mr Smith how he would explain that particular kind of instinct. CHAPTER III Richard was best-man at his partner's wedding. He afterwards attended a crowded reception. It was too crowded; and there were far too many people there who wanted to talk to Jane Murray. She was popular, and there was a group round her all the time. Not for five minutes could Richard get her to himself. It was this selfishness on the part of others which depressed him, not the reception champagne, which was no worse than is usual on such occasions. The crowds bored him and when he got back to his flat the solitude bored him. Not even Zero was there. Richard's valet had taken the dog out for exercise; this had been done in obedience to Richard's own orders, but it now seemed to him in the light of a grievance. The grievance became more acute when his servant returned without the dog. "Very sorry, sir; I wouldn't have had it happen for anything. I was walking in Regent's Park, with the dog at my heels, and all of a sudden he made a bolt for it. I whistled and called, but he went straight on. And when I started running after him, he made a dash into a big shrubbery. That was how he foxed me, sir. While I was hunting him on one side, he must have bolted out on the other. Never known the dog act like that before. It was just as if something had come over him. Speaking in a general way--" "Well, what did you do?" asked Richard sharply. "I spoke to the park-keepers, and to a couple of policemen outside, and then I went on to Scotland Yard. The address is on the collar, sir. I should think there's no doubt you'll--" "That'll do!" snapped Richard. "I thought you could be trusted to take a dog out, at any rate. Well, my mistake." With a further expression of contrition, the man withdrew, and almost instantly the telephone-bell on Richard's desk rang sharply. He went slowly to the telephone, and managed to put the concentration of weariness and disgust into the word "Hallo!" The voice that answered him was the voice of Mr Murray. "That you, Staines? ... Right--yes, quite well, thanks.... I wanted to say when Jane got back this evening she found Zero waiting for her outside our front door.... He's here now, and seems quite cheerful about it.... Thought you might like to know." Richard rapidly changed his tone of dejection for that of social enthusiasm. He thanked profusely. He would send for the dog at once. "Well, look here," said Mr Murray, "Jane and I have got a night off--dining alone. If by any chance you're free, I wish you'd join us. Then you can take the intelligent hound back with you." Richard said that he was free, which was a lie; and that he would be delighted to come, which was perfectly true.