y carried her away. She had her duty to do to
them and it overrode every other duty. If a certain separation from Mr.
Brumley's assiduous aid was demanded, was it too great a sacrifice? And
no sooner was that settled than the whole question reopened with her
indignant demand why anyone at any price had the right to prohibit a
friendship that she had so conscientiously kept innocent. If she gave
way to this outrageous restriction to-day, what fresh limitations might
not Sir Isaac impose to-morrow? And now, she was so embarrassed in her
struggle by his health. She could not go to him and have things out with
him, she could not directly defy him, because that might mean a
suffocating seizure for him....

It was entirely illogical, no doubt, but extremely natural for Lady
Harman to decide that she must communicate her decision, whichever one
it was, to Mr. Brumley in a personal interview. She wrote to him and
arranged to meet and talk to him in Kew Gardens, and with a feeling of
discretion went thither not in the automobile but in a taxi-cab. And so
delicately now were her two irrevocable decisions balanced in her mind
that twice on her way to Kew she swayed over from one to the other.

Arrived at the gardens she found herself quite disinclined to begin the
announcement of either decision. She was quite exceptionally glad to see
Mr. Brumley; he was dressed in a new suit of lighter brown that became
him very well indeed, the day was warm and bright, a day of scyllas and
daffodils and snow-upon-the-mountains and green-powdered trees and frank
sunshine,--and the warmth of her feelings for her friend merged
indistinguishably with the springtime stir and glow. They walked across
the bright turf together in a state of unjustifiable happiness, purring
little admirations at the ingenious elegance of creation at its best as
gardeners set it out for our edification, and the whole tenor of Lady
Harman's mind was to make this occasion an escape from the particular
business that had brought her thither.

"We'll look for daffodils away there towards the river under the trees,"
said Mr. Brumley, and it seemed preposterous not to enjoy those
daffodils at least before she broached the great issue between an
irresistible force and an immoveable post, that occupied her mental
background.

Mr. Brumley was quite at his best that afternoon. He was happy, gay and
deferential; he made her realize by his every tone and movement that if
he had h