time　Mark　had　bought　The　Red　House　and　the　considerable　amount　of
  land　which　went　with　it。　Cayley　superintended　the　necessary　staff。　His
  duties；　indeed；　were　many。　He　was　not　quite　secretary；　not　quite　land…
  agent；　not　quite　business…adviser；　not　quite　companion；　but　something　of
  all　four。　Mark　leant　upon　him　and　called　him　〃Cay；〃　objecting　quite
  rightly　in　the　circumstances　to　the　name　of　Matthew。　Cay；　he　felt　was；
  above　all；　dependable；　a　big；　heavy…jawed；　solid　fellow；　who　didn't　bother
  you　with　unnecessary　talk　…　a　boon　to　a　man　who　liked　to　do　most　of　the
  talking　himself。
  Cayley　was　now　twenty…eight；　but　had　all　the　appearance　of　forty；
  which　was　his　patron's　age。　Spasmodically　they　entertained　a　good　deal
  at　The　Red　House；　and　Mark's　preference　…　call　it　kindliness　or　vanity；　as
  you　please　…　was　for　guests　who　were　not　in　a　position　to　repay　his
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  The　Red　House　Mystery
  hospitality。　Let　us　have　a　look　at　them　as　they　came　down　to　that
  breakfast；　of　which　Stevens；　the　parlourmaid；　has　already　given　us　a
  glimpse。
  The　first　to　appear　was　Major　Rumbold；　a　tall；　grey…haired；　grey…
  moustached；　silent　man；　wearing　a　Norfolk　coat　and　grey　flannel　trousers；
  who　lived　on　his　retired　pay　and　wrote　natural　history　articles　for　the
  papers。　He　inspected　the　dishes　on　the　side…table；　decided　carefully　on
  kedgeree；　and　got　to　work　on　it。　He　had　passed　on　to　a　sausage　by　the
  time　of　the　next　arrival。　This　was　Bill　Beverly；　a　cheerful　young　man　in
  white　flannel　trousers　and　a　blazer。
  〃Hallo；　Major；〃　he　said　as　he　came　in；　〃how's　the　gout？〃
  〃It　isn't　gout；〃　said　the　Major　gruffly。
  〃Well；　whatever　it　is。〃
  The　Major　grunted。
  〃I　make　a　point　of　being　polite　at　breakfast；〃　said　Bill；　helping　himself
  largely　to　porridge。　〃Most　people　are　so　rude。　That's　why　I　asked　you。
  But　don't　tell　me　if　it's　a　secret。　Coffee？〃　he　added；　as　he　poured　himself
  out　a　cup。
  〃No；　thanks。　I　never　drink　till　I've　finished　eating。〃
  〃Quite　right；　Major；　it's　only　manners。〃　He　sat　down　opposite　to　the
  other。　〃Well；　we've　got　a　good　day　for　our　game。　It's　going　to　be
  dashed　hot；　but　that's　where　Betty　and　I　score。　On　the　fifth　green；　your
  old　wound；　the　one　you　got　in　that　frontier　skirmish　in　'43；　will　begin　to
  trouble　you；　on　the　eighth；　your　liver；　undermined　by　years　of　curry；　will
  drop　to　pieces；　on　the　twelfth…〃
  〃Oh；　shut　up；　you　ass！〃
  〃Well；　I'm　only　warning　you。　Hallo；　good　morning；　Miss　Norris。　I
  was　just　telling　the　Major　what　was　going　to　happen　to　you　and　him　this
  morning。　Do　you　want　any　assistance；　or　do　you　prefer　choosing　your
  own　breakfast？〃
  〃Please　don't　get　up；〃　said　Miss　Norris。　〃I'll　help　myself。　Good
  morning；　Major。〃　She　smiled　pleasantly　at　him。　The　Major　nodded。
  〃Good　morning。　Going　to　be　hot。〃
  〃As　I　was　telling　him；〃　began　Bill；　〃that's　where…　Hallo；　here's　Betty。
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  The　Red　House　Mystery
  Morning；　Cayley。〃
  Betty　Calladine　and　Cayley　had　come　in　together。　Betty　was　the
  eighteen…year…old　daughter　of　Mrs。　John　Calladine；　widow　of　the　painter；
  who　was　acting　hostess　on　this　occasion　for　Mark。　Ruth　Norris　took
  herself　seriously　as　an　actress　and；　on　her　holidays；　seriously　as　a　golfer。
  She　was　quite　competent　as　either。　Neither　the　Stage　Society　nor
  Sandwich　had　any　terrors　for　her。
  〃By　the　way；　the　car　will　be　round　at　10。30；〃　said　Cayley；　looking　up
  from　his　letters。　〃You're　lunching　there；　and　driving　back　directly
  afterwards。　Isn't　that　right？〃
  〃I　don't　see　why　we　shouldn't　have　…　two　rounds；〃　said　Bill　hopefully。
  〃Much　too　hot　in　the　afternoon；〃　said　the　Major。　〃Get　back
  comfortably　for　tea。〃
  Mark　came　in。　He　was　generally　the　last。　He　greeted　them　and　sat
  down　to　toast　and　tea。　Breakfast　was　not　his　meal。　The　others　chattered
  gently　while　he　read　his　letters。
  〃Good　God！〃　said　Mark　suddenly。
  There　was　an　instinctive　turning　of　heads　towards　him。　〃I　beg　your
  pardon；　Miss　Norris。　Sorry；　Betty。〃
  Miss　Norris　smiled　her　forgiveness。　She　often　wanted　to　say　it
  herself；　particularly　at　rehearsals。
  〃I　say；　Cay！〃　He　was　frowning　to　himself　…　annoyed；　puzzled。　He
  held　up　a　letter　and　shook　it。　〃Who　do　you　think　this　is　from？〃
  Cayley；　at　the　other　end　of　the　table；　shrugged　his　shoulders。　How
  could　he　possibly　guess？
  〃Robert；〃　said　Mark。
  〃Robert？〃　It　was　difficult　to　surprise　Cayley。　〃Well？〃
  〃It's　all　very　well　to　say　'we1l？'　like　that；〃　said　Mark　peevishly。　〃He's
  coming　here　this　afternoon。〃
  〃I　thought　he　was　in　Australia；　or　somewhere。〃
  〃Of　course。　So　did　I。〃　He　looked　across　at　Rumbold。　〃Got　any
  brothers；　Major？〃
  〃No。〃
  〃Well；　take　my　advice；　and　don't　have　any。〃
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  The　Red　House　Mystery
  〃Not　likely　to　now；〃　said　the　Major。
  Bill　laughed。　Miss　Norris　said　politely：　〃But　you　haven't　any
  brothers；　Mr。　Ablett？〃
  〃One；〃　said　Mark　grimly。　〃If　you're　back　in　time　you'll　see　him　this
  afternoon。　He'll　probably　ask　you　to　lend　him　five　pounds。　Don't。〃
  Everybody　felt　a　little　uncomfortable。
  〃I've　got　a　brother；〃　said　Bill　helpfully；　〃but　I　always　borrow　from
  him。〃
  〃Like　Robert；〃　said　Mark。
  〃When　was　he　in　England　last？〃　asked　Cayley。
  〃About　fifteen　years　ago；　wasn't　it？　You'd　have　been　a　boy；　of
  course。〃
  〃Yes；　I　remember　seeing　him　once　about　then；　but　I　didn't　know　if　he
  had　been　back　since。〃
  〃No。　Not　to　my　knowledge。〃　Mark；　still　obviously　upset；　returned
  to　his　letter。
  〃Personally；〃　said　Bill；　〃I　think　relations　are　a　great　mistake。〃
  〃All　the　same；〃　said　Betty　a　little　daringly；　〃it　must　be　rather　fun
  having　a　skeleton　in　the　cupboard。〃
  Mark　looked　up；　frowning。
  〃If　you　think　it's　fun；　I'll　hand　him　over　to　you；　Betty。　If　he's
  anything　like　he　used　to　be；　and　like　his　few　letters　have　been　…　well；　Cay
  knows。〃
  Cayley　grunted。
  〃All　I　knew　was　that　one　didn't　ask　questions　about　him。〃
  It　may　have　been　meant　as　a　hint　to　any　too　curious　guest　not　to　ask
  more　questions；　or　a　reminder　to　his　host　not　to　talk　too　freely　in　front　of
  strangers；　although　he　gave　it　the　sound　of　a　mere　statement　of　fact。　But
  the　subject　dropped；　to　be　succeeded　by　the　more　fascinating　one　of　the
  coming　foursome。　Mrs。　Calladine　was　driving　over　with　the　players　in
  order　to　lunch　with　an　old　friend　who　lived　near　the　links；　and　Mark　and
  Cayley　were　remaining　at　home　…　on　affairs。　Apparently　〃affairs〃　were
  now　to　include　a　prodigal　brother。　But　that　need　not　make　the　foursome
  less　enjoyable。
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  The　Red　House　Mystery
  At　about　the　time　when　the　Major　（for　whatever　reasons）　was　fluffing
  his　tee…shot　at　the　sixteenth；　and　Mark　and　his　cousin　were　at　their
  business　at　The　Red　House；　an　attractive　gentleman　of　the　name　of　Antony
  Gillingham　was　handing　up　his　ticket　at　Woodham　station　and　asking　the
  way　to　the　village。　Having　received　directions；　he　left　his　bag　with　the
  station…master　and　walked　off　leisurely。　He　is　an　important　person　to　this
  story；　so　that　it　is　as　well　we　should　know　something　about　him　before
  letting　him　loose　in　it。　Let　us　stop　him　at　the　top　of　the　hill　on　some
  excuse；　and　have　a　good　look　at　him。
  The　first　thing　we　realize　is　that　he　is　doing　more　of　the　looking　than
  we　are。　Above　a　clean…cut；　clean…shaven　face；　of　the　type　usually
  associated　with　the　Navy；　he　carries　a　pair　of　grey　eyes　which　seem　to　be
  absorbing　every　detail　of　our　person。　To　strangers　this　look　is　almost
  alarming　at　first；　until　they　discover　that　his　mind　is　very　often　elsewhere；
  that　he　has；　so　to　speak；　left　his　eyes　on　guard；　while　he　himself　follows　a
  train　of　thought　in　another　direction。　Many　people　do　this；　of　course；
  when；　for　instance；　they　are　talking　to　one　person　and　trying　to　listen　to
  another；　but　their　eyes　betray　them。　Antony's　never　did。
  He　had　seen　a　good　deal　of　the　world　with　those　eyes；　though　never　as
  a　sailor。　When　at　the　age　of　twenty…one　he　came　into　his　mother's　money；
  400　pounds　a　year；　old　Gillingham　looked　up　from　the　〃Stockbreeders'
  Gazette〃　to　ask　what　he　was　going　to　do。
  〃See　the　world；〃　said　Antony。
  〃Well；　send　me　a　line　from　America；　or　wherever　you　get　to。〃
  〃Right；〃　said　Antony。
  Old　Gillingham　returned　to　his　paper。　Antony　was　a　younger　son；
  and；　on　the　whole；　not　so　interesting　to　his　father　as　the　cadets　of　certain
  other　families；　Champion　Birket's；　for　instance。　But；　then；　Champion
  Birket　was　the　best　Hereford　bull　he　had　ever　bred。
  Antony；　however；　had　no　intention　of　going　further　away　than　London。
  His　idea　of　seeing　the　world　was　to　see；　not　countries；　but　people；　and　to
  see　them　from　as　many　angles　as　possible。　There　are　all　sorts　in　London
  if　you　know　how　to　look　at　them。　So　Antony　looked　at　them　…　from
  various　strange　corners；　from　the　view…point　of　the　valet；　the　newspaper
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  The　Red　House　Mystery
  reporter；　the　waiter；　the　shop…assistant。　With　the　independence　of　400
  pounds　a　year　behind　him；　he　enjoyed　it　immensely。　He　never　stayed
  long　in　one　job；　and　generally　closed　his　connexion　with　it　by　telling　his
  employer　（contrary　to　all　etiquette　as　understood　between　master　and
  servant）　exactly　what　he　th