Here come our guests, before I have had time to escape. I can
hear your friend Lessingham's voice."
CHAPTER XII
The three dinner guests entered together, Lessingham in the middle.
Sir Henry's presence was obviously a surprise to all of them.
"No idea that you were back, sir," Harrison observed, shaking hands.
Sir Henry greeted them all good-humouredly. "I turned up about
three quarters of an hour ago," he explained, "just too late to
join you at dinner."
"Bad luck, sir," Sinclair remarked. "I hope that you had good sport?"
"Not so bad," Sir Henry admitted. "We had to go far enough for it,
though. What do you think of that for an October codling?"
They all approached the scales and admired the fish. Sir Henry
stood with his hands in his pockets, listening to their comments.
"You are enjoying your stay here, I hope, Mr. Lessingham?" he
enquired.
"One could scarcely fail to enjoy even the briefest holiday in so
delightfully hospitable a place," was the somewhat measured reply.
"You're by way of being a fisherman yourself, I hear?" Sir Henry
continued.
"In a very small way," Lessingham acknowledged. "I have been out
once or twice."
"With Ben Oates, eh?"
"I believe that was the man's name."
Philippa glanced up from her work with a little exclamation of
surprise.
"I had no idea of that, Mr.
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