ich he carried so carefully contained
nothing but water.

"I will come and talk to you for a few minutes, if I may," Deyes said.
"I leave the Church and agriculture to hobnob. Somehow I don't fancy
that as a buffer I should be a success."

Young Hurd smiled amiably. He was more than a little flattered.

"The Archdeacon," he remarked, "is not an inspiring neighbour."

Deyes lit one of his own cigarettes and passed his case.

"I have found the Archdeacon very dull," he admitted--"a privilege of
his order, I suppose. By the bye, you are having a dose of religion from
a new source hereabouts, are you not?"

"You mean this young missioner?" Hurd inquired doubtfully.

Deyes nodded.

"I was with our hostess when he came up to ask for the loan of a barn to
hold services in. A very queer sort of person, I should think?"

"I haven't spoken to him," Hurd answered, "but I should think he's more
or less mad. I can understand mission and Salvation Army work and all
that sort of thing in the cities, but I'm hanged if I can understand any
one coming to Thorpe with such notions."

"Our hostess is annoyed about it, I imagine," Deyes remarked.

"She seems to have taken a dislike to the fellow," Hurd admitted. "She
was speaking to me about him just now. He is to be turned out of his
lodgings here."

Gilbert Deyes smiled. The news interested him.

"Our hostess is practical in her dislikes," he remarked.

"Why not?" his neighbour answered. "The place belongs to her."

Deyes watched for a moment the smoke from his cigarette, curling
upwards.

"The young man," he said thoughtfully, "impressed me as being a person
of some determination. I wonder whether he will consent to accept defeat
so easily."

The agent's son scarcely saw what else there was for him to do.

"There isn't anywhere round here," he remarked, "where they would take
him in against Miss Thorpe-Hatton's wishes. Besides, he has nowhere to
preach. His coming here at all was a huge mistake. If he's a sensible
person he'll admit it."

Deyes nodded as he rose to his feet and lounged towards the door with
the other men.

"Play bridge?" he asked his companion, as they crossed the hall.

"A little," the young man answered, "for moderate stakes."

They entered the drawing-room, and Deyes made his way to a secluded
corner, where Lady Peggy sat scribbling alone in a note-book.

"My dear Lady Peggy," he inquired, "whence this exceptional industry?"

She closed th