m in her voice, but Dinah coloured a
little and went at once to her father's defence.

"He sends Billy to a public school. Of course I--being only a girl--don't
count. And he has sent us out here, which was very good of him--the
sweetest thing he has ever done. He had a lucky speculation the other
day, and he has spent it nearly all on us. Wasn't that kind of him?"

"Very kind, dear," said Isabel gently. "How long are you to have out
here?"

"Only three weeks, and half the time is gone already," sighed Dinah. "The
de Vignes are not staying longer. The Colonel is a J.P., and much too
important to stay away for long. And they are going to have a large
house-party. There isn't much more than a week left now." She sighed
again.

"And then you will have no more fun at all?" asked Isabel.

"Not a scrap--nothing but work." Dinah's voice quivered a little. "I
don't suppose it has been very good for me coming out here," she said.
"I--I believe I'm much too fond of gaiety really."

Isabel's hand touched her cheek. "Poor little girl!" she said. "But you
wouldn't like to leave your mother to do all the drudgery alone."

"Oh yes, I should," said Dinah, with a touch of recklessness. "I'd never
go back if I could help it. I love Dad of course; but--" She paused.

"You don't love your mother?" supplemented Isabel.

Dinah leaned her face suddenly against the caressing hand. "Not much, I'm
afraid," she whispered.

"Poor little girl!" Isabel murmured again compassionately.

CHAPTER XIV

THE PURPLE EMPRESS

Colonel De Vigne once more wore his most magisterial air when after
breakfast on the following morning he drew Dinah aside.

She looked at him with swift apprehension, even with a tinge of guilt.
His lecture of the previous morning was still fresh in her mind. Could he
have seen her on the ice with Sir Eustace on the previous night, she
asked herself? Surely, surely not!

Apparently he had, however; for his first words were admonitory.

"Look here, young lady, you're making yourself conspicuous with that
three-volume-novel baronet: You don't want to be conspicuous, I suppose?"

Her face burned crimson at the question. Then he had seen, or at least he
must know, something! She stood before him, too overwhelmed for speech.

"You don't, eh?" he insisted, surveying her confusion with grim
relentlessness.

"Of course not!" she whispered at last.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Very well then! Don't let there