indygates the day after to-morrow."

"What! Here is a man with a palace waiting to receive him--and he is
only going to stop one clear day in it!"

"I am not going to stop in it at all, Sir Patrick--I am going to stay
with the steward. I'm only wanted to be present to-morrow at a dinner
to my tenants--and, when that's over, there's nothing in the world to
prevent my coming back here. The steward himself told me so in his last
letter."

"Oh, if the steward told you so, of course there is nothing more to be
said!"

"Don't object to my coming back! pray don't, Sir Patrick! I'll promise
to live in my new house when I have got Blanche to live in it with me.
If you won't mind, I'll go and tell her at once that it all belongs to
her as well as to me."

"Gently! gently! you talk as if you were married to her already!"

"It's as good as done, Sir! Where's the difficulty in the way now?"

As he asked the question the shadow of some third person, advancing
from the side of the summer-house, was thrown forward on the open sunlit
space at the top of the steps. In a moment more the shadow was followed
by the substance--in the shape of a groom in his riding livery. The man
was plainly a stranger to the place. He started, and touched his hat,
when he saw the two gentlemen in the summer-house.

"What do you want?" asked Sir Patrick

"I beg your pardon, Sir; I was sent by my master--"

"Who is your master?"

"The Honorable Mr. Delamayn, Sir."

"Do you mean Mr. Geoffrey Delamayn?" asked Arnold.

"No, Sir. Mr. Geoffrey's brother--Mr. Julius. I have ridden over from
the house, Sir, with a message from my master to Mr. Geoffrey."

"Can't you find him?"

"They told me I should find him hereabouts, Sir. But I'm a stranger, and
don't rightly know where to look." He stopped, and took a card out of
his pocket. "My master said it was very important I should deliver this
immediately. Would you be pleased to tell me, gentlemen, if you happen
to know where Mr. Geoffrey is?"

Arnold turned to Sir Patrick. "I haven't seen him. Have you?"

"I have smelt him," answered Sir Patrick, "ever since I have been in
the summer-house. There is a detestable taint of tobacco in the
air--suggestive (disagreeably suggestive to _my_ mind) of your friend,
Mr. Delamayn."

Arnold laughed, and stepped outside the summer-house.

"If you are right, Sir Patrick, we will find him at once." He looked
around, and shouted, "Geoffrey!"

A voice from the