Having made such an analysis of the situation, It was not long before I found

myself reconsidering Mr Farraday's kind suggestion of some days ago.

 

For it had occurred to me that the proposed trip in the car could be put to good

professional use; that is to say, I could drive to the West Country and call on

Miss Kenton in passing, thus exploring at first hand the substance of her wish

to return to employment here at Darlington Hall. I have, I should make clear,

reread Miss Kenton's recent letter several times, and there is no possibility I

am merely imagining the presence of these hints on her part.

 

For all that, I could not for some days quite bring myself to raise the matter

again with Mr Farraday. There were, in any case, various aspects to the matter I

felt I needed to clarify to myself before proceeding further. There was, for

instance, the question of cost. For even taking into account my employer's

generous offer to 'foot the bill for the gas', the costs of such a trip might

still come to a surprising amount considering such matters as accommodation,

meals, and any small snacks I might partake of on my way. Then there was the

question of what sorts of costume were appropriate on such a journey, and

whether or not it was worth my while to invest in a new set of clothes. I am in

the possession of a number of splendid suits, kindly passed on to me over the

years by Lord Darlington himself, and by various guests who have stayed in this

house and had reason to be pleased with the standard of service here. Many of

these suits are, perhaps, too formal for the purposes of the proposed trip, or

else rather old-fashioned these days. But then there is one lounge suit, passed