he whole mischief," he continued,
facing his sister, "was brought about by the first visit you paid to
Golfney Place."

"Oh well," said Carrissima, "there will scarcely be a question of my
patronizing her in the future. You see, Mrs. Clynesworth will be a
quite important personage."

"We have every reason to be thankful she isn't Mrs. Faversham,"
returned Lawrence. "For the rest, it's just the way of the world."

So he dismissed the topic, and a few minutes later Phoebe inquired
whether Carrissima had seen anything of Mark during the last few days.

"He really looks ill," she insisted. "He was here yesterday, and I
thought he had come to make an appointment to see the new carpet. He
spoke about it the last time, but when I suggested we should go before
you left England, he said he was afraid he should be too busy. I fancy
he is bothered about Sir Wilford Scones."

Carrissima did not see him again before her departure, and she was
absent with Colonel Faversham six weeks. As Lawrence had taken a
cottage in the country for the benefit of Victor, Carrissima, on her
return to Grandison Square, stood no chance of meeting Mark in
Charteris Street. As a matter of fact, he did not cross her path again
until after she came back from her usual round of country-house visits
at the end of October, with the intention of settling down for what
promised to prove a dreary winter.

Her former avocations had lost their zest; life seemed to have become
flat, stale and unprofitable. She longed for some kind of change,
although she knew not what. At Charteris Street, whither Phoebe had by
this time returned, the only news of Mark was that he had spent six
weeks mountain-climbing in Switzerland. Lawrence complained of his
brother-in-law's neglect.

"Phoebe is his only sister," he said one afternoon, during the first
week of November. "The least he might do is to come and see her now
and then. I say nothing about myself."

"I have only seen Mark once for five minutes since he came back," added
Phoebe.

"When was that?" asked Carrissima.

"Last week----"

"And," suggested Lawrence, "I don't imagine he would have taken the
trouble then if he hadn't wanted you to do something for him."

"You see, Carrissima," Phoebe explained, "Dr. Bunbury's wife and
daughter are coming on a visit to London for a few weeks. Mark has
promised to play cicerone, and he is anxious I shall call and invite
the Bunburys here. Of course I t