“I must go,” said Sally, desperately.
“One moment—or rather, why must you go? People keep going away today, Etta and Nadine, and that very large, pleasant young man who said his name was Armitage. He reminded me a little of Clarence, not the cat, of course, my dear, but my cousin Clarence who went to Australia in the year ’63 and was never heard of again. Or was it South Africa?”
“Did you say Armitage?” said Sally, breathing quickly.
“No, no,” said Miss Shaw, “it was he who said Armitage. He stood there just inside the door, looking quite immense, and I said to him, ‘Do I know you, my dear?’ and he said, ‘My name is Armitage.’ And then he admired Clarence and stroked his head.”
“When?” said Sally, “when?”
“Just after tea,” said Miss Shaw placidly. “Nadine had taken away the tray, and
