After the proceedings were over, Colonel Melrose volunteered to drive Bundle back to Chimneys, and Jimmy Thesiger returned to London. For all his lighthearted manner, Bundle's story had impressed him profoundly. He set his lips closely together. "Ronny, old boy," he murmured, "I'm going to be up against it. And you're not here to join in the game." Another thought flashed into his mind. Loraine! Was she in danger? After a minute or two's hesitation, he went over to the telephone and rang her up. "It's me--Jimmy. I thought you'd like to know the result of the inquest. Death by misadventure." "Oh, but--" "Yes, but I think there's something behind that. The coroner had had a hint. Someone's at work to hush it up. I say, Loraine--" "Yes?" "Look here. There's--there's some funny business going about. You'll be very careful, won't you? For my sake." He heard the quick note of alarm that sprang into her voice. "Jimmy--but then it's dangerous--for _you_." He laughed. "Oh, _that's_ all right. I'm the cat that had nine lives. Bye-bye, old thing." He rang off and remained a minute or two lost in thought. Then he summoned Stevens. "Do you think you could go out and buy me a pistol, Stevens?" "A pistol, sir?" True to his training, Stevens betrayed no hint of surprise. "What kind of a pistol would you be requiring?" "The kind where you put your finger on the trigger and the thing goes on shooting until you take it off again." "An automatic, sir." "That's it," said Jimmy. "An automatic. And I should like it to be a blue-nosed one--if you and the shopman know what that is. In American stories, the hero always takes his blue-nosed automatic from his hip pocket." Stevens permitted himself a faint, discreet smile. "Most American gentlemen that I have known, sir, carry something very different in their hip pockets," he observed. Jimmy Thesiger laughed. CHAPTER XVI THE HOUSE PARTY AT THE ABBEY Bundle drove over to Wyvern Abbey just in time for tea on Friday afternoon. George Lomax came forward to welcome her with considerable _empressement_. "My dear Eileen," he said, "I can't tell you how pleased I am to see you here. You must forgive my not having invited you when I asked your father, but to tell the truth I never dreamed that a party of this kind would appeal to you. I was both--er--surprised and--er--delighted when Lady Caterham told me of your--er--interest in--er--politics." "I wanted to come so much," said Bundle in a simple, ingenuous manner. "Mrs. Macatta will not arrive till the later train," explained George. "She was speaking at a meeting in Manchester last night. Do you know Thesiger? Quite a young fellow, but a remarkable grasp of foreign politics. One would hardly suspect it from his appearance."