the liveliest time of your life when her Grace of
Meldrum undertakes to nurse you. Did you hear about old Pilberry the
parson, and the toucan?"

"Yes, shut up. You've told me that unholy story twice already. I say,
Ronnie! We are begging the question. Who's to tell her?"

"You," said Ronald decidedly. "She cares for you like a mother, and will
take it more easily from you. Then I can step in, later on,
with--er--_manly_ comfort."

"Confound you!" said Billy, highly indignant. "I'm not such a kid as you
make out. But I'll tell you this:--If I thought it would be for her real
happiness, and could be pulled through, I would tell her I did it; then
find Airth to-morrow and tell him I had told her so."

"Ass!" said Ronnie, affectionately. "As if that could mend matters. Don't
you know the earl? He was against the hushing-up business from the first.
He would simply punch your head for daring to lie to her, and go and tell
her the exact truth himself. Besides, at this moment, he is thinking more
of his side of the question, than of hers. We fellows have a way of doing
that. If he had thought first of her, he would have stayed with her and
seen her through, instead of rushing off like this, leaving her
heart-broken and perplexed."

"Confound him!" said Billy, earnestly.

"I say, Billy! You know women." It was the first time Ronnie had admitted
this. "Don't you think--if a woman turned in horror from a man she had
loved, she might--if he were tactfully on the spot--turn _to_ a man who
had long loved her, and of whom she had undoubtedly been fond?"

"My knowledge of women," declaimed Billy, dramatically, "leads me to hope
that she would fall into the arms of the man who loved her well enough to
risk incurring her displeasure by bravely telling her himself that which
she ought----"

"Confound you!" whispered Ronnie, who had glanced past Billy, "Shut
up!--The meshes of this net are better than the other, and the new patent
sockets undoubtedly keep it----"

"You patient people!" said Lady Ingleby's voice, just behind Billy.
"Don't you badly need tea?"

"We were admiring the new net," said Ronald Ingram, frowning at Billy,
who with his back to Lady Ingleby, continued admiring the new net,
helplessly speechless!

There were brave attempts at merriment during tea. Ronald told all the
latest Overdene stories; then described the annual concert which had just
taken place.

"Mrs. Dalmain was there, and sang divinely. She sin