nt an unpardonable sign of
weakness. Circumstances might alter, thrones totter, but Miss Brent's
decisions would remain unshaken.

On the day following her meeting with Lady Tanagra and Bowen, Miss
Brent did three things. She transferred to "The Mayfair Hotel" for one
night, she prepared an announcement of the engagement for _The Morning
Post_, and she set out to call upon Lady Meyfield in Grosvenor Square.

The transference to "The Mayfair Hotel" served a double purpose. It
would impress the people at the newspaper office, and it would also
show that Patricia's kinswoman was of some importance.

As Patricia was tapping out upon a typewriter the halting eloquence of
Mr. Arthur Bonsor, Miss Brent was being whirled in a taxi first to the
office of _The Morning Post_ and then on to Grosvenor Square.

"I fully appreciate," tapped Patricia with wandering attention, "the
national importance of pigs."

"Miss Brent!" announced Lady Meyfield's butler.

Miss Brent found herself gazing into a pair of violet eyes that were
smiling a greeting out of a gentle face framed in white hair.

"How do you do!" Lady Meyfield was endeavouring to recall where she
could have met her caller.

"I felt it was time the families met," announced Miss Brent.

Lady Meyfield smiled, that gentle reluctant smile so characteristic of
her. She was puzzled; but too well-bred to show it.

"Won't you have some tea?" She looked about her, then fixing her eyes
upon a dark man in khaki, with smouldering eyes, called to him,
introduced him, and had just time to say:

"Godfrey, see that Miss Brent has some tea," when a rush of callers
swept Miss Brent and Captain Godfrey Elton further into the room.

Miss Brent looked about her with interest. She had read of how Lady
Meyfield had turned her houses, both town and country, into
convalescent homes for soldiers; but she was surprised to see men in
hospital garb mixing freely with the other guests. Elton saw her
surprise.

"Lady Meyfield has her own ideas of what is best," he remarked as he
handed her a cup of tea.

Miss Brent looked up interrogatingly.

"She had some difficulty at first," continued Elton; "but eventually
she got her own way as she always does. Now the official hospitals
send her their most puzzling cases and she cures them."

"How?" enquired Miss Brent with interest.

"Imagination," said Elton, bowing to a pretty brunette at the other
side of the room. "She is too wise