d with Bob
Broadley. She was on the lawn; with her Mina Zabriska and a small, neat,
elderly man, who was introduced to him as Mr Jenkinson Neeld. Harry paid
little attention to this insignificant person, and gave Mina no more
than a careless shake of the hand and a good-humored amused nod; he was
not afraid of her any longer. She had done what harm she could. If she
did anything more now it would be on his side. Else why had he shown her
Lady Tristram? He claimed Janie and contrived to lead her to some chairs
on the other side of the lawn.

"And that's Mr Harry Tristram?" said Neeld, looking at him intently
through his spectacles.

"Yes," said the Imp briefly--she was at the moment rather bored by Mr.
Neeld.

"An interesting-looking young man."

"Yes, he's interesting." And she added a moment later, "You're having a
good look at him, Mr Neeld."

"Dear me, was I staring? I hope not. But--well, we've all heard of his
mother, you know."

"I'm afraid the next thing we hear about her will be the last." What she
had seen at Blent Hall was in her mind and she spoke sadly. "Mr Tristram
will succeed to his throne soon now."

Neeld looked at her as if he were about to speak, but he said nothing,
and his eyes wandered back to Harry again.

"They're friends--Miss Iver and he?" he asked at last.

"Oh, it's no secret that he wants to marry her."

"And does she----?"

Mina laughed, not very naturally. "It's something to be Lady Tristram of
Blent." She smiled to think how much more her words meant to herself
than they could mean to her companion. She would have been amazed to
find that Neeld was thinking that she would not speak so lightly if she
knew what he did.

Harry wanted to marry Janie Iver! With a sudden revulsion of feeling
Neeld wished himself far from Blentmouth. However it was his duty to
talk to this sharp little foreign woman, and he meant to try. A few
polite questions brought him to the point of inquiring her nationality.

"Oh, we're Swiss, French Swiss. But I was born at Heidelberg. My mother
lived there after my father died. My uncle--who lives with me--Major
Duplay, is her brother; he was in the Swiss Service."

"A pleasant society at Heidelberg, I dare say?"

"Rather dull," said Mina. It seemed much the same at Blentmouth at the
moment.

Iver strolled out from his study on to the lawn. He cast a glance toward
his daughter and Harry, frowned slightly, and sat down on Mina's other
side. He had a