Lady Merivale's ability. Had she been a general, never a
battle would have been lost through wrong tactics. She knew Adrien too
well to attempt to hold his allegiance by force; hers were silken
strings with which to chain him to her side. She recognised well enough
that any abuse or jealousy of Lady Constance Tremaine would only send
him further from her.

Responding to these tactics, Leroy took up the sculls, and with the long
swinging strokes which had gone so far towards helping the crew of his
college to win their contests, sent the little boat quickly up the
river.

Few men of his temperament and training could yet boast of such
proficiency as this man seemed to possess. Rowing, skating, dancing,
riding, and just lately motoring; at all he excelled, yet no living
being had ever heard him pride himself on what he could do.

About an hour after Adrien had started, Jasper Vermont ascended the
staircase to his chambers, to be informed by Norgate that his master was
out for the day, and all arrangements were to be cancelled.

"Oh!" said Jasper quietly, inwardly irritated that his dupe should be
absent, even for a day, without telling him of his intention and plans.
"Oh! Where has he gone? He did mention it last night, but I have
forgotten." He put his hand to his forehead as if trying to recall it to
his mind.

But Norgate was too sharp to be caught by this time-honoured manoeuvre.
He knew very well that the whole outing had been too hurriedly decided
upon for Jasper to have been told on the preceding night; and he had no
intention of allowing his master, to whom he was sincerely attached, to
be worried by Mr. Vermont.

"I don't know, sir," he replied stolidly. "He did not leave word."

As the letter had been brought round quite openly by one of the Merivale
servants, needless to say, he could have given Jasper a very fair idea
of where he had gone; but he preferred to keep his own counsel.

"Oh, very well. I'll just go up and write a few letters, Norgate," said
Jasper, making a pretence of indifference; and he passed into the study,
Norgate returning to his own quarters.

Mr. Vermont waited until his retreating footsteps had died away, then
with a quick hand and a keen eye he turned over the letters which lay
where Adrien had carelessly thrown them. Amongst them was one which had
been evidently overlooked, for it was unopened. It bore the Barminster
postmark, and Jasper's eyes shone. Could he but learn its co