Materially speaking, he could
simply hold himself in readiness to engage an apartment at a hotel and
to go to meet them at the station. He expected to hear from Gordon
as soon as this interesting trio should reach England, but the first
notification he received came from a Parisian hotel. It came to him in
the shape of a very short note, in the morning, shortly before lunch,
and was to the effect that his friends had alighted in the Rue de la
Paix the night before.
"We were tired, and I have slept late," said Gordon; "otherwise you
should have heard from me earlier. Come to lunch, if possible. I want
extremely to see you."
Bernard, of course, made a point of going to lunch. In as short a time
as possible he found himself in Gordon's sitting-room at the Hotel
Middlesex. The table was laid for the midday repast, and a gentleman
stood with his back to the door, looking out of the window. As Bernard
came in, this gentleman turned and exhibited the ambrosial beard, the
symmetrical shape, the monocular appendage, of Captain Lovelock.
The Captain screwed his glass into his eye, and greeted Bernard in his
usual fashion--that is, as if he had parted with him overnight.
"Oh, good morning! Beastly morning, is n't it? I suppose you are come to
luncheon--I have come to luncheon.
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