Thelattershookhandsheartilywiththeyoungman。
“Iknewyourfatherquitewell，“heannounced。“Queerthing，heusedtohangoutformonthsatatimeatthatlittleshantyonthebeachthere。Hardestworkintheworldtogethimaway。Hecameovertodinewithusonceortwice，butwesawscarcelyanythingofhim。Ihopehissonwillnotprovesoobdurate。“
“Youareverykind，“Hamelmurmured。
“Mr。Hamelcameintothesepartstoclaimhisfather’sproperty，“
Mr。Fentolinsaid。“However，Ihavepersuadedhimtospendadayortwoupherebeforehetransformshimselfintoamisanthrope。
Whatofhisgolf，Esther，eh？“
“Mr。Hamelplaysverywell，indeed，“thegirlreplied。
“Yourniecewastoogoodforme，“Hamelconfessed。
Mr。Fentolinsmiled。
“Thepolitenessofthisyoungergeneration，“heremarked，“keepsthetruthsometimeshiddenfromus。IperceivethatIshallnotbetoldwhowon。LadySaxthorpe，youarefortunateindeedinthemorningyouhavechosenforyourvisit。ThereisnosunintheworldlikeanAprilsun，andnocorneroftheearthwhereitshineswithsucheffectashere。Looksteadilytotheeastwardofthatseconddikeandyouwillseethepinklightuponthesands，whichbaffledeveryoneuntilourfriendHamelcameandcaughtitonhiscanvas。“
“Idoseeit，“LadySaxthorpemurmured。“Whateyesyouhave，Mr。
Fentolin！Whatperceptionforcolour！“
“Dearlady，“Mr。Fentolinsaid，“Iamoneofthosewhobenefitbythelawofcompensations。OnamorninglikethisIcanspendhoursmerelyfeastingmyeyesuponthisprospect，andIcanfind，ifnothappiness，thenextbestthing。Theworldisfullofbeautifulplaces，butthestrangepartofitisthatbeautyhascountlessphases，andeachphasediffersinsomesubtleandunexplainablemannerfromallothers。Lookwithmefixedly，dearLadySaxthorpe。
Look，indeed，withmorethanyoureyes。Lookatthatflushofwildlavender，whereitfadesintothesandsononeside，andstrikestheemeraldgreenofthatwetseamossontheother。Lookattheliquidblueofthattongueofseawhichcreepsalongitsbedthroughtheyellowsands，throughthedarkmeadowland，whichcreepsandoozesandwidenstillinanhour’stimeitwillhavebecomeariver。Lookatmysandislands，virginfromthefootofman，thehomeofsea-gulls，theislandsofaday。Theremaybeotherandmorebeautifulplaces。Thereisnonequitelikethis。“
“Ipityyounolonger，“LadySaxthorpeassertedfervently。“Theeyesoftheartistareafinerpossessionthanthelimbsoftheathlete。“
Thebutlerannouncedluncheon，andtheyalltroopedin。HamelfoundhimselfnexttoLadySaxthorpe。
“DearMr。Fentolinhasbeensokind，“sheconfidedtohimastheytooktheirplaces。“Icameinfearandtremblingtoaskforaverysmallchequeformydearbrother’sdiocese。Mybrotherisacolonialbishop，youknow。CanyouimaginewhatMr。Fentolinhasgivenme？“
Hamelwonderedpolitely。LadySaxthorpecontinuedwithanairoftriumph。
“Athousandpounds！Justfancythat-athousandpounds！Andsomepeoplesayheissodifficult，“shewenton，droppinghervoice。
“Mrs。HungerfordcameallthewayoverfromNorwichtobegfortheinfirmarythere，andhegavehernothing。“
“Whatwashisexcuse？“Hamelasked。
“Ithinkhetoldherthatitwasagainsthisprinciplestogivetohospitals，“LadySaxthorpereplied。“Hethinksthattheyshouldbesupportedoutoftherates。“
“Somepeoplehavequeerideasofcharity，“Hamelremarked。“NowI
amafraidthatifIhadbeenMr。Fentolin，Iwouldhavegiventhethousandpoundswillinglytoahospital，butnotapennytoamission。“
Mr。Fentolinlookedsuddenlydownthetable。Hewassomedistanceaway，buthishearingwaswonderful。
“Ah，mydearHamel，“hesaid，“believeme，missionsareverywonderfulthings。ItisonlyfromaverycarefulstudyoftheirresultsthatIhavebroughtmyselftobeaconsiderablesupporterofthosewhereIhavesomepersonalknowledgeoftheorganisation。
Hospitals，ontheotherhand，provideforthepoorwhattheyoughttobeabletoprovideforthemselves。Theonethingtoavoidinthegivingawayofmoneyispauperisation。Whatdoyouthink，Florence？“
Hissister-in-law，whowasseatedattheotherendofthetable，lookedacrossathimwithabrightbutstereotypedsmile。
“Iagreewithyou，ofcourse，Miles。Ialwaysagreewithyou。Mr。
Fentolinhastheknackofbeingrightaboutmostthings，“shecontinued，turningtoLordSaxthorpe。“Hisjudgmentisreallywonderful。“
“Wishwecouldgethimtocomeandsitonthebenchsometimes，then，“
LordSaxthorperemarkedheartily。“Ourneighboursinthispartoftheworldarenotoverburdenedwithbrains。By-the-by，“hewenton，“thatremindsme。Youhaven’tgotsuchathingasamysteriousinvalidinthehouse，haveyou？“
Therewasamoment’srathercurioussilence。Mr。Fentolinwassittinglikeacarvedfigure，withaglassofwinehalfraisedtohislips。GeraldhadbrokenoffinthemiddleofasentenceandwasstaringatLordSaxthorpe。Estherwassittingperfectlystill，herfacegraveandcalm，hereyesalonefulloffear。LordSaxthorpewasnotanobservantmanandhecontinued，quiteunconsciousofthesensationwhichhisquestionhadaroused。
“Soundsasillythingtoaskyou，doesn’tit？They’reallfullofitatWells，though。Isatonthebenchthismorningandwentintothepolice-stationforamomentfirst。Seemsthey’vegotalongdispatchfromScotlandYardaboutamissingmanwhoissupposedtobeinthispartoftheworld。HecamedowninaspecialtrainonTuesdaynight-thenightofthegreatflood-andhistrainwaswreckedatWymondham。Afterthathewastakenonbysomeoneinamotor-car。ColonelRenshawwantedmetoalludetothematterfromthebench，butitseemedtomethatitwasanaffairentirelyforthepolice。“
Asthoughsuddenlyrealisingtheunexpectedinterestwhichhiswordshadcaused，LordSaxthorpebroughthissentencetoaconclusionandglancedenquiringlyaroundthetable。
“Amancouldscarcelydisappearinacivilisedneighbourhoodlikethis，“Mr。Fentolinremarkedquietly，“butthereisacertainamountofcoincidenceaboutyourquestion。MayIaskwhetheritwasaltogetherahaphazardone？“
“Absolutely，“LordSaxthorpedeclared。“Theideaseemstobethatthefellowwasbroughttooneofthehousesintheneighbourhood，andwewereallratherchaffingoneanotherthismorningaboutit。
InspectorYardley-thestoutfellowwiththebeard，youknow-wasjuststartingoffinhisdogcarttomakeenquiriesroundtheneighbourhood。Ifanyoneinfictionwantsatypeoftheridiculousdetective，thereheis，ready-made。“
“Thecoincidenceofyourquestion，“Mr。Fentolinsaidsmoothly，“iscertainlyastrangeone。Themysteriousstrangeriswithinourgates。“
LadySaxthorpe，whohadbeenoutoftheconversationforfartoolong，laiddownherknifeandfork。
“MydearMr。Fentolin！“sheexclaimed。“MydearMrs。Fentolin！
Thisisreallymostexciting！Dotellusallaboutitatonce。I
thoughtthatthemanwassupposedtohavebeendecoyedawayinamotor-car。Doyouknowhisnameandallabouthim？“
“Thereareafewminorpoints，“Mr。Fentolinmurmured，“suchashisreligiousconvictionsandhissizeinboots，whichIcouldnotswearabout，butsofarasregardshisnameandhisoccupation，IthinkIcangratifyyourcuriosity。HeisaMr。JohnP。Dunster，andheappearstobetherepresentativeofanAmericanfirmofbankers，onhiswaytoGermanytoconcludealoan。“
“Godblessmysoul！“LordSaxthorpeexclaimedwonderingly。“Thefellowisactuallyhereunderthisroof！Butwhobroughthim？
Howdidhefindhisway？“
“BetteraskGerald，“Mr。Fentolinreplied。“Heistheabductor。
ItseemsthattheybothmissedthetrainfromLiverpoolStreet，andMr。DunsterinvitedGeraldtotraveldowninhisspecialtrain。
Verykindofhim，butmighthavebeenveryunluckyforGerald。
Asyouknow，theygotsmashedupatWymondham，andGerald，feelinginawayresponsibleforhim，broughthimonhere；quiteproperly，Ithink。Sarsonhasbeenlookingafterhim，butIamafraidhehasslightconcussionofthebrain。“
“Ishallrememberthisallmylife，“LordSaxthorpedeclaredsolemnly，“asoneofthemostsingularcoincidenceswhichhasevercomewithinmypersonalknowledge。Perhapsafterlunch，Mr。
Fentolin，youwillletsomeofyourpeopletelephonetothepolice-stationatWells？Therereallyisanimportantenquiryrespectingthisman。Ishouldnotbesurprised，“headded，droppinghisvoicealittleforthebenefitoftheservants，“tofindthatScotlandYardneededhimontheirownaccount。“
“Inthatcase，“Mr。Fentolinremarked，“heisquitesafe，forSarsontellsmethereisnochanceofhisbeingabletotravel，atanyratefortwenty-fourhours。“
LadySaxthorpeshivered。
“Aren’tyouafraidtohavehiminthehouse？“sheasked，“amanwhoisreallyandactuallywantedbyScotlandYard？Whenoneconsidersthatnothingeverhappenshereexceptanoccasionalshipwreckinthewinterandaflower-showinthesummer，itdoessoundpositivelythrilling。Iwonderwhathehasdone。“
TheydiscussedthesubjectofMr。Dunster’spossibleiniquities。
Meanwhile，ayoungmancarryinghishatinhishandhadslippedinpasttheservantsandwasleaningoverMr。Fentolin’schair。Helaidtwoorthreesheetsofpaperuponthetableandwaitedwhilehisemployerglancedthemthroughanddismissedhimwithalittlenod。
“Mywirelesshasbeenbusythismorning，“Mr。Fentolinremarked。
