ord Talgarth blazed up a little.

"And the eight hundred a year is mine," he said.

Jenny laid down her spoon as the servant reappeared with the fish and
the menu-card. He came very opportunely. And while her host was
considering what he would eat next, she was pondering her next move.

Jenny, as has been said, was an exceedingly sensible girl. She had grown
up in the Rectory, down at the park gates; and since her mother's death,
three years previously, had managed her father's house, including her
father, with great success. She had begun to extend her influence, for
the last year or two, even over the formidable lord of the manor
himself, and, as has been seen, was engaged to his son. Her judgment was
usually very sound and very sane, and the two men, with the Rector, had
been perfectly right just now in leaving the old man to her care for an
hour or so. If anything could quiet him it would be this girl. She was
quite fearless, quite dignified, and quite able to hold her own. And her
father perceived that she rather enjoyed it.

When the man had gone out again, she resumed:

"Well, let's leave it," she said, "for a day or two. There's no hurry,
and--"

"But I must answer this--this telegram," he growled. "What am I to say
to the feller?"

"Tell him to follow his discretion, and that you have complete
confidence--"

"But--"

"Yes; I know you haven't, really. But it'll do no harm, and it'll make
him feel important."

"And what if the boy does take to the roads?"

"Let him," said Jenny coolly. "It won't kill him."

He looked up at her again in silence.

Jenny herself was very far from comfortable, though she was conscious of
real pleasure, too, in the situation. She had seen this old man in a
passion pretty often, but she had never seen him in a passion with any
real excuse. No one ever thwarted him. He even decided where his doctor
should send him for his cure, and in what month, and for how long. And
she was not, therefore, quite certain what would happen, for she knew
Frank well enough to be quite sure that he meant what he said. However,
she reflected, the main thing at present was to smooth things down all
round as far as possible. Then she could judge.

"Can't make out why you ever consented to marry such a chap at all!" he
growled presently.

"Oh, well--" said Jenny.

(III)

It was a delicious evening, and the three men, after dinner, strolled
out on to the broad terrace that ran, looking