ttle
brother-in-law has written a poem, I shall have a _raison d'etre_ in
being there. You'll see, Madeline, you'll enjoy yourself."

CHAPTER XXVII

ANOTHER ANONYMOUS LETTER

"Oh, Bertha, I've heard from Rupert again," said Madeline, as they drove
along.

"I saw you'd had a letter from that talented young cul-de-sac," replied
Bertha.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. I didn't mean anything. I like to tease you, and you must
confess that he's the sort of man--well, nothing ever seems to get much
forrarder with him! What does he say?"

"It's just the sort of letter he wrote long before he ever dreamt of
proposing to me."

"Well, I think that's rather a good sign. He's reassumed his early
manner. I believe he's going to work his way up all over again--all
through the beaten paths, and ignore the incident that hurt his vanity,
and then propose again. We may have rather fun here to-day. Sometimes
there are only a few fly-blown celebrities, and sometimes there are very
new beginners without a future, debutantes who will never _debuter_,
singers who can't sing, actors who never have any engagements, and
editors who are just thinking of bringing out a paper. Miss Belvoir
collects people who are unknown but prominent, noticeable and yet
obscure. Here we are."

* * * * *

While Bertha and Madeline were being entertained in Miss Belvoir's
drawing-room something more serious was happening to Percy.

The day after the Hilliers' party Nigel had a terrible quarrel with his
wife, and he threatened that if she ever again lost her self-control and
disgraced him or herself by anything in the way of a scene, that he
would leave her and never come back. This really frightened her, for she
knew she had behaved unpardonably. She would not have minded so very
much if he had gone away for a little while, but how was she to prevent
the Kellynches going to the same place--even travelling with him? She
had been amazed to see Bertha. At the time she sent the letters there
had certainly been a marked change, a new movement, as she thought. They
had had an effect, without a doubt, though how or what she hardly knew,
but she supposed she had roused Percy's suspicions and he had stopped
the meetings. And then Mrs. Kellynch calmly came to the party without
her husband, which seemed to prove she knew nothing of the letters, and
disappeared at once with Nigel into the shaded conversation-room,
snatching