'Who is our fourth?' said Lady Sophia, suddenly.

'Oh, Borrodaile!' Lord John stopped halfway across the lawn and called
back, 'aren't you coming?'

'It's not a bit of use,' said Sophia. 'You'll see. He's safe to sit
there and talk to Miss Levering till the dressing-bell rings.'

'Isn't she a _nice_ creature!' said Lord John. 'I can't think how a
woman like that hasn't got some nice fella to marry her!'

* * * * *

'Would you like to see my yellow garden, Vida?' Lady John asked. 'It's
rather glorious at this moment.'

Obvious from the quick lifting of the eyes that the guest was on the
point of welcoming the proposal, had Filey not swallowed his belated cup
of tea with surprising quickness after saying, 'What's a yellow garden?'
in the unmistakable tone of one bent upon enlarging his experience. Lady
John, with all her antennae out, lost no time in saying to Vida--

'Perhaps you're a little tired. Hermione, you show Mr. Filey the garden.
And maybe, Lord Borrodaile would like to see it, too.'

Although the last-named failed to share the enthusiasm expected in a
gardener, he pulled his long, slackly-put-together figure out of the
chair and joined the young people.

When they were out of earshot, 'What's the matter?' asked Lady John.

'Matter?'

'Yes, what did poor Paul say to make you fall upon him like that?'

'I didn't "fall upon" him, did I?'

'Well, yes, I rather thought you did.'

'Oh, I suppose I--perhaps it did jar on me, just a little, to hear a
cocksure boy----'

'He's not a boy. Paul is over thirty.'

'I was thinking of Dick Farnborough, too--talking about women like that,
before women.'

'Oh, all they meant was----'

'Yes, I know. Of course we _all_ know they aren't accustomed to treating
our sex in general with overmuch respect when there are only men
present--but--do you think it's quite decent that they should be so free
with their contempt of women before us?'

'But, my dear Vida! _That_ sort of woman! Haven't they deserved it?'

'That's just what nobody seems to know. I've sat and listened to
conversations like the one at tea for a week now, and I've said as much
against those women as anybody. Only to-day, somehow, when I heard that
boy--yes, I was conscious I didn't like it.'

'You're behaving exactly as Dr. Johnson did about Garrick. You won't
allow any one to abuse those women but yourself.'

Lady John cleared the whole trivial business away w