Her disappearance seemed to make no difference to Selena Gault. In absolute immobility the poor lady remained standing there, staring at the grass. It was as if she’d put her foot upon an adder that struck her with sudden paralysis, so that at a touch she would topple over and fall.

Wolf came close to her. “Don’t worry about my mother, Miss Gault, darling,” he whispered earnestly. “She’s not as flippant as she sounds⁠ ⁠… really she’s not! She’s like that with everyone. She’s like that with me.”

Miss Gault looked at him as if his words meant nothing. Her vacant stare seemed to be fixed on something at a remote distance.