40The front door of The Lodge having been opened to him by Miss Silver, Mr Harrison found himself rather at a loss as to what his next step should be. He went into the dining-room because Miss Silver seemed to expect him to go into the dining-room. In a vague kind of way he remembered hearing that Althea Graham had someone staying with her, and he supposed the lady who admitted him to be this someone, though he did not know her name. She relieved him of this part of his embarrassment by pronouncing it clearly and firmly, to which he responded by giving her his own and explaining his presence.
‘I have no wish to intrude, I do assure you of that, but Nicholas Carey is my cousin and I am very anxious to see him—very anxious indeed. I thought perhaps he might be here.’
Miss Silver inclined h
