"Not here, sir."
"But he slept here last night," I remarked. "I have an appointment with
him."
The man consulted the big book before him, and answered:
"Captain Durnford went out at 9:27 last night, sir, but has not
returned."
Strange, I thought, but although I waited in the club nearly an hour, he
did not put in an appearance. I called again at noon, and he had not
come in, and again at two o'clock, but he had not even then made his
appearance. Then I began to be anxious. I returned to the hotel,
resolved to wait for a few hours longer. He might have altered his mind
and gone to Eastbourne in search of Muriel; yet, had he done so, he
would surely have telegraphed to me.
About four o'clock, as I was passing through the big hall of the hotel,
I heard a voice behind me utter a greeting in Italian, and turning in
surprise, found Olinto, dressed in his best suit of black, standing hat
in hand.
In an instant I recollected what Jack had told me, and regarded him with
some suspicion.
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