The visitor stared at him in amazement.
“But this is marvellous,” he cried. “I thought detectives only did such things in books! Your office boy did not even give you my name!”
Tommy sighed deprecatingly.
“Tut tut, all that was very easy,” he said. “The rays of the midnight sun within the Arctic circle have a peculiar action upon the skin-the actinic rays have certain properties. I am writing a little monograph on the subject shortly. But all this is wide of the point. What is it that has brought you to me in such distress of mind?”
“To begin with, Mr. Blunt, my name is Gabriel Stavansson-‘,
“Ah! of course ” said Tommy. “The well known explorer. You have recently returned from the region of the North Pole, I believe?”
“I landed in England three days ago. A friend who was cruising in Northern waters brought me back on his yacht. Otherwise I should not have got back for another fortnight. Now I must tell you, Mr. Blunt, that before I started on this last expedition two years ago, I had the great good fortune to become engaged to Mrs. Maurice Leigh Gordon-”
Tommy interrupted.
“Mrs. Leigh Gordon was, before her marriage-”
“The Honorable Hermione Crane, second daughter of Lord Lanchester,” reeled off Tuppence glibly.
Tommy threw her a glance of admiration.
“Her first husband was killed in the War,” added Tuppence.
Gabriel Stavansson nodded.
“That is quite correct. As I was saying, Hermione and I became engaged. I offered, of course, to give up this expedition, but she wouldn’t hear of such a thing-bless her! She’s the right kind of woman for an explorer’s wife. Well, my first thought on landing was to see Hermione. I sent a telegram from Southampton, and rushed up to town by the first train. I knew that she was living for the time being with an aunt of hers, Lady Susan Clonray, in Pont Street, and I went straight there. To my great disappointment, I found that Hermy was away visiting some friends in Northumberland. Lady Susan was quite nice about it, after getting over her first surprise at seeing me. As I told you, I wasn’t expected for another fortnight. She said Hermy would be returning in a few days’ time. Then I asked for her address, but the old woman hummed and hawed-said Hermy was staying at one of two different places, and that she wasn’t quite sure what order she was taking them in. I may as well tell you, Mr. Blunt, that Lady Susan and I have never got on very well. She’s one of those fat women with double chins. I loathe fat women-always have-fat women and fat dogs are an abomination unto the Lord-and unfortunately they so often go together! It’s an idiosyncracy of mine, I know-but there it is-I never can get on with a fat woman.”
“Fashion agrees with you, Mr. Stavansson,” said Tommy drily. “And everyone has their own pet aversion-that of the late Lord Roberts was cats.”
“Mind you, I’m not saying that Lady Susan isn’t a perfectly charming woman-she may be, but I’ve never taken to her. I’ve always felt, deep down, that she disapproved of our engagement, and I feel sure that she would influence Hermy against me if that were possible. I’m telling you this for what it’s worth. Count it out as prejudice, if you like. Well, to go on with my story, I’m the kind of obstinate brute who likes his own way. I didn’t leave Pont Street until I’d got out of her the names and addresses of the people Hermy was likely to be staying with. Then I took the mail train North.”
“You are, I perceive, a man of action, Mr. Stavansson,” said Tommy, smiling.
“The thing came upon me like a bombshell. Mr. Blunt, none of these people had seen a sign of Hermy. Of the three houses, only one had been expecting her-Lady Susan must have made a bloomer over the other two-and she had put off her visit there at the last moment by telegram. I returned post haste to London, of course, and went straight to Lady Susan. I will do her the justice to say that she seemed upset. She admitted that she had no idea where Hermy could be. All the same, she strongly negatived any idea of going to the police. She pointed out that Hermy was not a silly young girl, but an independent woman who had always been in the habit of making her own plans. She was probably carrying out some idea of her own.