But Mr. Parker,
since his lady's illness, seemed to be withdrawn from all worldly
concerns. He had become invisible. And now that the lady was dead he
would presumably grow more invisible than ever. It was a severe blow to
all concerned; to nobody more than to the Commissioner himself when, on
emerging into society from his mourning retirement, he divined what a
chance he had missed.
Every single member of the small sub-committee who came, in rather a
formal group, to communicate to Mr. Keith the terms of the
millionaire's offer and to solicit his participation in the scheme,
purposed to attend the funeral of Mr. Parker's lady. It was the right
thing to do. That impressive function, already a day overdue, had been
irrevocably fixed for 10.30 a.m. at the instance of the Chief Medical
Officer of Health. Accordingly they reached the Villa Khismet at the
matutinal hour of 9 a.m., convinced that the short interval would
suffice to cajole out of Mr. Keith a sum sufficient to bind old Koppen
to his promise.
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