also an
elderly lady of dignified aspect, in a black satin dress, of which she
apparently had a very high opinion. This lady, who seemed to be a mere
dummy in the establishment, was, as he now learnt, Mrs. Goodman by
name, a widow of a recently deceased gentleman, and aunt to Paula--the
identical aunt who had smuggled Paula into a church in her helpless
infancy, and had her christened without her parents' knowledge. Having
been left in narrow circumstances by her husband, she was at present
living with Miss Power as chaperon and adviser on practical matters--in
a word, as ballast to the management. Beyond her Somerset discerned
his new acquaintance Mr. Woodwell, who on sight of Somerset was for
hastening up to him and performing a laboured shaking of hands in
earnest recognition.

Paula had just come in from the garden, and was carelessly laying down
her large shady hat as he entered. Her dress, a figured material in
black and white, was short, allowing her feet to appear. There was
something in her look, and in the style of her corsage, which reminded
him of several of the bygone beauties in the gallery. The thought for a
moment crossed his mind that she might have been imitating one of them.

'Fine old screen, sir!' said Mr. Havill, in a long-drawn voice across
the table when they were seated, pointing in the direction of the
traceried oak division between the dining-hall and a vestibule at the
end. 'As good a piece of fourteenth-century work as you shall see in
this part of the country.'

'You mean fifteenth century, of course?' said Somerset.

Havill was silent. 'You are one of the profession, perhaps?' asked the
latter, after a while.

'You mean that I am an architect?' said Somerset. 'Yes.'

'Ah--one of my own honoured vocation.' Havill's face had been not
unpleasant until this moment, when he smiled; whereupon there instantly
gleamed over him a phase of meanness, remaining until the smile died
away.

Havill continued, with slow watchfulness:--

'What enormous sacrileges are committed by the builders every day, I
observe! I was driving yesterday to Toneborough where I am erecting a
town-hall, and passing through a village on my way I saw the workmen
pulling down a chancel-wall in which they found imbedded a unique
specimen of Perpendicular work--a capital from some old arcade--the
mouldings wonderfully undercut. They were smashing it up as filling-in
for the new wall.'

'It must have been unique,' said