“Yes,” said Lady O’Callaghan, “I quite understand. Good afternoon.”

“There’s one other thing,” said Alleyn. “I had nearly forgotten it. It’s something that you can do, if you will, to help us as regards the hospital side of the problem.”

She listened, apparently without any particular surprise or agitation, to his request, and agreed at once to do as he suggested.

“Thank you very much indeed, Lady O’Callaghan. You understand that we should like Miss O’Callaghan to be with you?”

“Yes,” she said after a long pause.

“Shall I see her, or—perhaps you would rather ask her yourself?”

“Perhaps that would be better. I would much prefer her to be spared this unnecessary ordeal.”

“I assure you,” said Alleyn dryly, “that it may save her a more unpleasant one.”

“I’m afraid I do not understand you. However, I shall ask her.”

In the hall he walked straight into Miss Ruth O’Callaghan. When she saw him she uttered a noise that was something between a whoop of alarm and a cry of supplication, and bolted incontinently into the drawing-room. Nash, who had evidently just admitted her, looked scandalised.

“Is Mr. Jameson in, Nash?” asked Alleyn.

“Mr. Jameson has left us, sir.”

“Really?”

“Yes, sir. His duties, as you might say, have drawn to a close.”

“Yes,” said Alleyn, unconsciously echoing Lady O’Callaghan. “I quite understand. Good afternoon.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Reconstruction Begun

Thursday, the eighteenth. Afternoon.

ALLEYN FOUND HE still had over an hour to wait before the reconstruction. He had tea and then rang up Dr. Roberts, found he was at home, and made his way once more to the little house in Wigmore Street. He wanted, if possible, to surprise Roberts with an unexpected reference to the Lenin Hall meeting. The diminutive manservant admitted him and showed him into the pleasant sitting-room, where he found Roberts awaiting him.

“I hope I’m not a great nuisance,” said Alleyn. “You did ask me to come back some time, you know.”

“Certainly,” said Roberts, shaking hands. “I am delighted to see you. Have you read my book?” He swept a sheaf of papers off a chair and pulled it forward. Alleyn sat down.

“I’ve dipped into it—no time really to tackle it yet, but I’m enormously interested. At Lord knows what hour this morning I read the chapter in which you refer to the Sterilization Bill.

You put the case for sterilization better than any other sponsor I have heard.”