.

Elizabeth pointed to a seat beside her, and gave him tea. They talked of
London a little, and his first impressions. All the time he was trying
to grasp the identity of the woman speaking with the woman he had parted
from in Canada. Something surely had gone? This restrained and rather
cold person was not the Elizabeth of the Rockies. He watched her when
she turned from him to her other guests; her light impersonal manner
towards the younger men, with its occasional touch of satire; the
friendly relation between her and the parson; the kindly deference she
showed the old Lord Lieutenant. Evidently she was mistress here, much
more than her mother. Everything seemed to be referred to her, to circle
round her.

Presently there was a stir in the room. Lord Waynflete asked for his
carriage.

"Don't forget, my dear lady, that you open the new Town Hall next
Wednesday," he said, as he made his way to Elizabeth.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"But you make the speech!"

"Not at all. They only want to hear you. And there'll be a great crowd."

"Elizabeth can't speak worth a cent!" said Philip, with brotherly
candour. "Can you, Lisa?"

"I don't believe it," said Lord Waynflete, "but it don't matter. All
they want is that a Gaddesden should say something. Ah, Mrs.
Gaddesden--how glorious the Romney looks to-night!" He turned to the
fireplace, admiring the illuminated picture, his hands on his sides.

"Is it an ancestress?" Mariette addressed the question to Elizabeth.

"Yes. She had three husbands, and is supposed to have murdered the
fourth," said Elizabeth drily.

"All the same she's an extremely handsome woman," put in Lord Waynflete.
"And as you're the image of her, Lady Merton, you'd better not run her
down." Elizabeth joined in the laugh against herself and the speaker
turned to Anderson.

"You'll find this place a perfect treasure-house, Mr. Anderson, and I
advise you to study it--for the Radicals won't leave any of us anything,
before many years are out. You're from Manitoba? Ah, you're not
troubled with any of these Socialist fellows yet! But you'll get
'em--you'll get 'em--like rats in the corn. They'll pull the old flag
down if they can. But you'll help us to keep it flying. The Colonies are
our hope--we look to the Colonies!"

The handsome old man raised an oratorical hand, and looked round on his
audience, like one to whom public speaking was second nature.

Anderson made a gesture of assent; he wa