Mrs. May was still rather sleepy, and, as usual, more or less inattentive to her husband’s remarks. She began turning over the letters the post had just brought for her, whereat Mr. May gave a sharp rap on the table with the handle of a fork. “My tea!” he repeated. “D’ye hear? I want my tea!” Mrs. May rolled her pale eyes at him protestingly as she lifted the teapot. “I hear perfectly,” she answered with an assumption of dignity. “And please be civil! You can’t bully me as you bully Diana.” “I bully Diana! I!” And Mr. May gave a short, scornful laugh. “Come, I like that! Why, the woman doesn’t know what bullying is! She’s had a path of roses all her life--roses, I tell you! Never a care,--never a worry,--no financial difficulties--always enough to eat, and a comfortable home to live in. What more can she want? Bully, indeed! If she had married that confounded officer for whom she wasted the best seven years of her life, then she’d have known something about bullying! Rather! And I daresay it ’ud have done her good. Better than being an old maid, anyhow.” Mrs. May handed him his tea across the table. “I wonder where she is?” she questioned, plaintively. “I’ve never known her so late before.” “Went out at six,” said Mr. May, with his mouth full of bacon. “The kitchen-maid saw her go.” Mrs. May rang a small hand-bell at her side. The parlour-maid answered it. “Hasn’t Miss Diana come in?” “No, ’m.” Mrs. May rubbed her small nose perplexedly. “Who saw her go out?” “The kitchen-maid, ’m. She was cleaning the doorstep when Miss Diana came out, and said she was going for a sea bath. That was about six o’clock, ’m.” Again Mrs. May rubbed her nose. “Send Grace here.” “Yes, ’m.” Another minute, and Grace Laurie appeared. “Grace, did you see Miss Diana go out this morning?” “No, ’m. Last night I met her on the stairs, and she said she had a headache and was going to bed early. I haven’t seen her since.” “Good heavens, Margaret, what a fuss you’re making!” here exclaimed Mr. May. “One would think she’d been carried off in an aeroplane! Surely she’s old enough to take care of herself! She’s probably gone for a walk after bathing, and forgotten the time.” “That’s not like Miss Diana, sir,” ventured Grace, respectfully. “She never forgets anything.” “Another cup of tea, Margaret, and look sharp!” interposed Mr. May, testily. Mrs. May sighed, and poured hot water into the tea-pot. Then she addressed Grace in a low tone. “Ask the kitchen-maid just what Miss Diana said.” Grace retired, and returned again quickly.