for breakfast on his sword-stick, and then off we went for a day's
pleasuring--Richmond, Hampton Court, the Surrey Hills. Why shouldn't we
go, Katharine? It's going to be a fine day."

At this moment, just as Mrs. Hilbery was examining the weather from the
window, there was a knock at the door. A slight, elderly lady came in,
and was saluted by Katharine, with very evident dismay, as "Aunt Celia!"
She was dismayed because she guessed why Aunt Celia had come. It was
certainly in order to discuss the case of Cyril and the woman who was
not his wife, and owing to her procrastination Mrs. Hilbery was quite
unprepared. Who could be more unprepared? Here she was, suggesting that
all three of them should go on a jaunt to Blackfriars to inspect the
site of Shakespeare's theater, for the weather was hardly settled enough
for the country.

To this proposal Mrs. Milvain listened with a patient smile, which
indicated that for many years she had accepted such eccentricities in
her sister-in-law with bland philosophy. Katharine took up her position
at some distance, standing with her foot on the fender, as though by so
doing she could get a better view of the matter. But, in spite of her
aunt's presence, how unreal the whole question of Cyril and his morality
appeared! The difficulty, it now seemed, was not to break the news
gently to Mrs. Hilbery, but to make her understand it. How was one
to lasso her mind, and tether it to this minute, unimportant spot? A
matter-of-fact statement seemed best.

"I think Aunt Celia has come to talk about Cyril, mother," she said
rather brutally. "Aunt Celia has discovered that Cyril is married. He
has a wife and children."

"No, he is NOT married," Mrs. Milvain interposed, in low tones,
addressing herself to Mrs. Hilbery. "He has two children, and another on
the way."

Mrs. Hilbery looked from one to the other in bewilderment.

"We thought it better to wait until it was proved before we told you,"
Katharine added.

"But I met Cyril only a fortnight ago at the National Gallery!" Mrs.
Hilbery exclaimed. "I don't believe a word of it," and she tossed her
head with a smile on her lips at Mrs. Milvain, as though she could quite
understand her mistake, which was a very natural mistake, in the case of
a childless woman, whose husband was something very dull in the Board of
Trade.

"I didn't WISH to believe it, Maggie," said Mrs. Milvain. "For a long
time I COULDN'T believe it. But now I've seen,