Gregory laughed.

“Well, I hope you didn’t mean it. Joking apart, I’ve rung up to find out if you’ll come down to my place for the week end.”

“I can’t possibly.”

“My dear Carroll, you’re so impulsive. You know, I’ve got a feeling that it’s overwork, and that if you are not careful you’ll be finding you are having to take a very long rest. In your own interests you shouldn’t let it come to that-the proverbial stitch in time. I’ll be expecting you on Saturday.”

“I tell you, I can’t come.” Carroll really wasn’t troubling to be polite.

Gregory continued to smile.

“What a pity! By the way, if you ever have time for reading, I’ve got something that’s right up your street. Fellow called Tauscher. Extraordinary revelations. But there-I don’t suppose you’ve time.”

There was rather a long pause before Carroll said in a slow, dragging voice,

“Not unless I get away for a week-end.”

“Well then, my dear fellow it’s easy-come along down to me on Saturday and I’ll fix you up with Tauscher.”

There was another pause. The slow voice said,

“All right.”

“Gregory Porlock heard a click at the other end of the line. Leonard Carroll had hung up.

He had one more call to make. When a woman’s voice answered he asked for Mr. Masterman. The voice replied without bonhommie,

“He’s engaged. I can take a message.”

Gregory Porlock gave a laugh of the lighter social kind.

“Of course-it’s Miss Masterman! How stupid of me! I didn’t recognize your voice. It’s Gregory Porlock.”

“Oh, yes. What is it, Mr. Porlock?” There was some slight evidence of a thaw.

“Well, I just rang up to say how much I’m looking forward to seeing you at the week-end. I hope you can get down to tea?”

“I don’t know-I shall have to ask my brother-”

“All right, I’ll hold on if you don’t mind. Will you tell him that with regard to the matter of business he was consulting me about, I think I’ve worked out a very satisfactory solution. I really don’t think he need worry about it any more.”