"Why suppose such a thing? I
was flattering myself that my conversation and deportment were,
under the circumstances, perfectly rational."
"But you are talking nonsense," Philippa insisted. "You say that
you saw Major Felstead fifty-six hours ago. You cannot mean us to
believe that fifty-six hours ago you were at Wittenberg."
"That is precisely what I have been trying to tell you," he agreed.
"But it isn't possible!" Helen gasped.
"Quite, I assure you," he continued; "in fact, we should have been
here before but for a little uncertainty as to your armaments along
the coast. There was a gun, we were told, somewhere near here,
which we were credibly informed had once been fired without the
slightest accident."
Philippa's eyes seemed to grow larger and rounder.
"He's raving!" she decided.
"He isn't!" Helen cried, with sudden divination. "Is that your hat?"
she asked, pointing to the table where Nora had left her trophy.
"It is," he admitted with a smile, "but I do not think that I will
claim it."
"You were in the observation car of that Zeppelin!"
Lessingham extended his hand.
"Softly, please," he begged. "You have, I gather, arrived at the
truth, but for the moment shall it be our secret? I made an
exceedingly uncomfortable, not to say undignified descent from the
Zeppelin which passed over Dutchman's Common last night.
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