Hilary restored his feet to the bureau and settled back to think. He knew as well as anything that Aunt Effie’s crafty bargain still left the way open for her to take Sabrina away from Nuns Farthing as soon as she chose, and he was sure that she would lose no time about it now, unless—

He contemplated the only answer in the world. If Aunt Effie could somehow be convinced that he was no longer in the house—. But merely for him to keep still and not upset Bella was not enough. If he could somehow exorcise himself publicly from Nuns Farthing, Sabrina might be allowed to stay on there in peace.

CHAPTER TWENTY

BY taking the earliest possible bus next morning, grumbling to himself because he had not yet evolved a disembodied transit system, Hilary arrived home before the others, who traveled by car after breakfast.

When Sabrina ran up to his room he was already there, and it never occurred to her that he had left it. He could tell by her face that last night’s false security still existed, and that she thought herself safe, not only from Switzerland but from having to leave Nuns Farthing. He wondered how long that would last.

Father gave it away at luncheon, by announcing that he had arranged to take rooms in Wells for the next month at least, instead of going up to Town with them tomorrow.

“Tomorrow!” said Sabrina incredulously.

“I shall be able to use the Wells Museum then, until my book is ready for the printer,” Father explained.

“But you said I didn’t have to go!” cried Sabrina. “Aunt Effie, you promised!”

“I promised about Switzerland,” Aunt Effie conceded cautiously. “But when I thought you were going, I made arrangements to give up the lease here.”

“When?”

“This week.”

“But—” Sabrina looked blankly from one to the other. “Where are we going to live?”

“Where we have always lived—in the flat in Town,” said Father. “That is, I shall rejoin you there in a few weeks.”

“Does that mean we’re leaving this house forever?”

“Forever?” Father considered the melodramatic word critically. “Why, yes, I suppose it amounts to that.”

“I wasn’t going to tell you just yet,” admitted Aunt Effie. “Not until you were rested, that is, but now that you know, you might as well start your packing directly after luncheon. I thought with luck we might catch the nine o’clock train in the morning. Your father wants the car left here, of course.”

Sabrina saw that she had been tricked and beaten, sensed treachery somewhere, but was too dazed to lay her finger on it.

“You mean—catch a train for London?” she asked stupidly.

“Well, yes, London first. It will be rather nice, don’t you think, to see the shops again, and go to a big cinema?”

“Then it’s over,” said Sabrina hopelessly, not looking at them. “I’ve lost it—forever.”