No one could tell me where the Vanes
had gone. I stayed at Beauleigh--mooning about. I wouldn't go to
Oxford; and I wouldn't travel. I mooned about. Six months ago I came
across Vicary at a meet--you remember Vicary at Vane's?--he told me
that Vane had died in Jersey. I went to Jersey, and found Vane's
grave. Next to it was my wife's."
Again Sir Tancred fell silent in a gloomy musing.
"Well?" said Lord Crosland gently.
"The oddest thing happened. It doesn't sound exactly credible; and you
won't understand it. I don't. But as I stood by the grave, I suddenly
felt that there was something for me to do, something very important
that had to be done. It was odd, very odd. I went back to my hotel
quite harassed, puzzling and racking my brains. Then an idea struck
me; and I had a hunt through the registers. I found that two days
before she died a boy was born, Hildebrand Anne Beauleigh--the old
Beauleigh names. She knew that I should like him to be called by them.
From the registers I learnt where they had been living. I rushed off
to the house, and found it empty and to let--always these shut-up
houses. I made inquiries and inquiries, from the house agents and the
tradespeople. I could learn nothing.
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