.

The following day began as the last had done; Lord Embleton and Miss
Willoughby retiring to the muniment-room, the lovers vanishing among the
walks. Scremerston later took Logan to consult Fenwick, who visibly
brightened at the idea of night-fishing.

'You must take one of those long landing-nets, Logan,' said Scremerston.
'They are about as tall as yourself, and as stout as lance-shafts. They
are for steadying you when you wade, and feeling the depth of the water
in front of you.'

Scremerston seemed very pensive. The day was hot; they wandered to the
smoking-room. Scremerston took up a novel, which he did not read; Logan
began a letter to Merton--a gloomy epistle.

'I say, Logan,' suddenly said Scremerston, 'if your letter is not very
important, I wish you would listen to me for a moment.'

Logan turned round. 'Fire away,' he said; 'my letter can wait.'

Scremerston was in an attitude of deep dejection. Logan lit a cigarette
and waited.

'Logan, I am the most miserable beggar alive.'

'What is the matter? You seem rather in-and-out in your moods,' said
Logan.

'Why, you know, I am in a regular tight place. I don't know how to put
it. You see, I can't help thinking that--that--I have rather committed
myself--it seems a beastly conceited thing to say--that there's a girl
who likes me, I'm afraid.'

'I don't want to be inquisitive, but is she in this country?' asked
Logan.

'No; she's at Homburg.'

'Has it gone very far? Have you _said_ anything?' asked Logan.

'No; my father did not like it. I hoped to bring him round.'

'Have you _written_ anything? Do you correspond?'

'No, but I'm afraid I have _looked_ a lot.'

As the Viscount Scremerston's eyes were by no means fitted to express
with magnetic force the language of the affections, Logan had to command
his smile.

'But why have you changed your mind, if you liked her?' he asked.

'Oh, _you_ know very well! Can anybody see her and not love her?' said
Scremerston, with a vagueness in his pronouns, but referring to Miss
Willoughby.

Logan was inclined to reply that he could furnish, at first hand, an
exception to the rule, but this appeared tactless.

'No one, I daresay, whose affections were not already engaged, could see
her without loving her; but I thought yours had been engaged to a lady
now at Homburg?'

'So did I,' said the wretched Scremerston, 'but I was mistaken. Oh,
Logan, you don't know the difference! _This_ is