I + 

Sebastian Levinne was in his office going into the details of a ticklish contract when a telegram was brought to him. He opened it carelessly, for he received forty or fifty telegrams a day. After he had read it, he held it in his hand looking at it. + 

Then he crumpled it up, slipped it into his pocket and spoke to Lewis, his right-hand man. + 

тАЬGet on with this thing as best you can,тАЭ he said curtly. тАЬIтАЩm called out of town.тАЭ + 

He took no heed of the protestations that arose, but left the room. He paused to tell his secretary to see to the cancelling of various appointments and then went home, packed a bag, and took a taxi to Waterloo. There he unfolded the telegram again and read it. + 

Please come at once if you can very urgent Jane Wilts Hotel Wiltsbury. + 

It was a proof of his confidence and respect for Jane that he never hesitated. He trusted Jane as he trusted no one else in the world. If Jane said a thing was urgent, it was urgent. He obeyed the summons without wasting a thought of regret on the necessary complications it would cause. For no one else in the world, be it said, would he have done that. + 

On arriving at Wiltsbury he drove straight to the hotel and asked for her. She had engaged a private room, and there she met him with outstretched hands. + 

тАЬSebastianтБатАФmy dearтБатАФyouтАЩve been marvellously quick.тАЭ + 

тАЬI came at once.тАЭ He slipped off his coat and threw it over the back of a chair. тАЬWhat is it, Jane?тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs Vernon.тАЭ + 

Sebastian looked puzzled. + 

тАЬWhat about him?тАЭ + 

тАЬHeтАЩs not dead. IтАЩve seen him.тАЭ + 

Sebastian stared at her for a minute, then drew a chair to the table and sat down. + 

тАЬItтАЩs not like you, Jane, but I think, for once in your life, you must have been mistaken.тАЭ + 

тАЬI wasnтАЩt mistaken. ItтАЩs possible, I suppose, for the War Office to have made an error?тАЭ + 

тАЬErrors have been made more than onceтБатАФbut theyтАЩve usually been contradicted fairly soon. It stands to reason that they must be. If VernonтАЩs alive, whatтАЩs he been doing all this time?тАЭ + 

She shook her head. + 

тАЬThat I canтАЩt say. But IтАЩm as sure about its being Vernon as I am that itтАЩs you here now.тАЭ + 

She spoke curtly but very confidently. + 

He stared at her very hard, then nodded. + 

тАЬTell me,тАЭ he said. + 

Jane spoke quietly and composedly. + 

тАЬThereтАЩs an American here, a Mr.┬аBleibner. I met him out in Serbia. We recognized each other in the street. He told me he was staying at the County Hotel and asked me to lunch today. I went. Afterwards it was raining. He wouldnтАЩt hear of my walking back. His car was there and would take me. His car did take me. Sebastian, the chauffeur was VernonтБатАФand he didnтАЩt know me.тАЭ + 

Sebastian considered the matter. тАЬYouтАЩre sure you werenтАЩt deceived by some strong resemblance?тАЭ + 

тАЬPerfectly sure.тАЭ + 

тАЬThen why didnтАЩt Vernon recognize you? He was pretending, I suppose.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, I donтАЩt think soтБатАФin fact, IтАЩm sure he wasnтАЩt. He would be bound to give some signтБатАФa startтБатАФsomething. He couldnтАЩt have been expecting to see me. He couldnтАЩt have controlled his first surprise. Besides, he lookedтБатАФdifferent.тАЭ + 

тАЬHow different?тАЭ + 

Jane considered. + 

тАЬItтАЩs hard to explain. Rather happy and jolly andтБатАФjust faintlyтБатАФlike his mother.тАЭ + 

тАЬExtraordinary,тАЭ said Sebastian. тАЬIтАЩm glad you sent for me. If it is VernonтБатАФwell, itтАЩs going to be the devil of a business. Nell having married again and everything. We donтАЩt want reporters coming down like wolves on the fold. I suppose thereтАЩll have to be some publicity.тАЭ He got up, walked up and down. тАЬThe first thing is to get hold of Bleibner.тАЭ + 

тАЬI telephoned to him, asking him to be here at six-thirty. I didnтАЩt dare leave it, though I was afraid you wouldnтАЩt be able to get here so soon. Bleibner will be here any minute.тАЭ + 

тАЬGood for you, Jane. We must hear what heтАЩs got to say.тАЭ + 

There was a knock at the door and Mr.┬аBleibner was announced. Jane rose to meet him. + 

тАЬItтАЩs very good of you to come, Mr.┬аBleibner,тАЭ she began. + 

тАЬNot at all,тАЭ said the American. тАЬAlways delighted to oblige a lady. And you said that the matter you wanted to see me about was urgent.тАЭ + 

тАЬIt is. This is Mr.┬аSebastian Levinne.тАЭ + 

тАЬThe Mr.┬аSebastian Levinne? IтАЩm very pleased to meet you, sir.тАЭ + 

The two men shook hands. + 

тАЬAnd now, Mr.┬аBleibner,тАЭ said Jane. тАЬIтАЩll come straight to what I want to talk to you about. How long have you had your chauffeur, and what can you tell us about him?тАЭ + 

Mr.┬аBleibner was plainly surprised and showed it. + 

тАЬGreen? You want to know about Green?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes.тАЭ + 

тАЬWellтБатАФтАЭ The American reflected. тАЬIтАЩve no objections to telling you what I know. I guess you wouldnтАЩt ask without a good reason. I know you well enough for that, Miss Harding. I picked up Green in Holland not long after the armistice. He was working in a local garage. I discovered he was an Englishman and began to take an interest in him. I asked him his history and he was pretty vague about it. I thought at first he had something to conceal, but I soon convinced myself that he was genuine enough. The man was in a kind of mental fog. He knew his name and where he came from but very little else.тАЭ + 

тАЬLost memory,тАЭ said Sebastian softly. тАЬI see.тАЭ + 

тАЬHis father was killed in the South African war, he told me. He remembered his father singing in the village choir, and he remembered a brother whom he used to call Squirrel.тАЭ + 

тАЬAnd he was quite sure about his own name?тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! yes. As a matter of fact heтАЩd got it written down in a small pocketbook. There was an accident, you know. He was knocked down by a lorry. ThatтАЩs how they knew who he was. They asked him if his name was Green and he said YesтБатАФGeorge. He was very popular at the garage, he was so sunny and lighthearted. I donтАЩt believe IтАЩve ever seen Green out of temper. + 

тАЬWell, I took a fancy to the young chap. IтАЩve seen a few shell-shocked cases, and his state wasnтАЩt any mystery to me. He showed me the entry in his pocketbook, and I made a few inquiries. I soon found the reasonтБатАФthere always is a reason, you knowтБатАФfor his loss of memory. Corporal George Green, London Fusiliers, was a deserter. + 

тАЬThere, you have it. HeтАЩd funked thingsтБатАФand being a decent young fellow really, he couldnтАЩt face the fact. I explained it all to him. He saidтБатАФrather wonderingly: тАШI shouldnтАЩt have thought I could ever desertтБатАФnot desert.тАЩ I explained to him that that point of view was just the reason he couldnтАЩt remember. He couldnтАЩt remember because he didnтАЩt want to remember. + 

тАЬHe listened but I donтАЩt think he was very convinced. I felt, and still feel, extremely sorry for him. I didnтАЩt think there was any obligation on my part to report his existence to the military authorities. I took him into my service and offered him a chance to make good. IтАЩve never had cause to regret it. HeтАЩs an excellent chauffeurтБатАФpunctual, intelligent, a good mechanic, and always sunny tempered and obliging.тАЭ + 

Mr.┬аBleibner paused and looked inquiringly at Jane and Sebastian. Their pale serious faces impressed him. + 

тАЬItтАЩs frightening,тАЭ said Jane in her low voice. тАЬItтАЩs one of the most frightening things that could happen.тАЭ + 

Sebastian took her hand and squeezed it. + 

тАЬItтАЩs all right, Jane.тАЭ + 

Jane roused herself with a slight shiver and spoke to the American. + 

тАЬI think itтАЩs our turn to explain. You see, Mr.┬аBleibner, in your chauffeur I recognized an old friendтБатАФand he didnтАЩt recognize me.тАЭ + 

тАЬInтАСdeed!тАЭ + 

тАЬBut his name wasnтАЩt Green,тАЭ said Sebastian. + 

тАЬNo? You mean he enlisted under another name?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo. ThereтАЩs something there that seems incomprehensible. I suppose we shall get at it some day. In the meantime, I will ask you, Mr.┬аBleibner, not to repeat this conversation to anyone. ThereтАЩs a wife in the matter, andтБатАФoh! many other considerations.тАЭ + 

тАЬMy dear sir,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBleibner. тАЬYou can trust me to be absolutely silent. But what next? Do you want to see Green?тАЭ + 

Sebastian looked at Jane and she bowed her head. + 

тАЬYes,тАЭ said Sebastian slowly. тАЬI think perhaps that would be the best plan.тАЭ + 

The American rose. + 

тАЬHeтАЩs below now. He brought me here. IтАЩll send him up right away.тАЭ + 