tes to the house, and in it were two men: one white of
hair and snowy of beard but as erect as a statue; the other slim and
young and fashionably dressed, and so clearly of the order "Johnnie"
that he who ran might read. The General and his son had returned from
their visit to Gleer Cottage.

Miss Lorne made that fact clear to Cleek in a few words.

"Now we shall have the full account of everything in Harry Raynor's
original and detestable style," she whispered. "You are so shrewd in
guessing riddles, Mr. Cleek, tell me, if you can, why it is that lions
so often breed asses, and that heroes so often father clowns? If you
were to search the world you could find no truer gentleman, in speech,
in manner, in instincts, in everything, than dear old General Raynor;
and yet, if you were to search it thrice over, you could find no greater
cad than his son."

"From what I can see at this distance he certainly does look like a fine
example of the genus bounder, I must confess," said Cleek. "You do not
appear to have much of an opinion of the young man, Miss Lorne."

"I have not. I detest him! I never did care for 'scented' men; and when
they come down to the 'curling iron' and the 'dye stick' they are simply
abominable!"

"The 'dye stick'?"

"Yes. You mustn't be deceived by that waxed and delicately darkened
moustache of Mr. Harry Raynor's, Mr. Cleek. It would be as sandy as his
hair if the wretched little dandy didn't darken it with black cosmetic
because he is ashamed of the cow colour which nature so appropriately
bestowed upon it."

Cleek screwed round on his heel and looked at Mr. Harry Raynor with
renewed interest.

"I suppose I ought not to have said that," she continued, "but I do
detest him so. I think I had better run and tell Kathie that they have
come back, but I will not keep you waiting many minutes." She smiled
brightly at Cleek, and with a little nod ran lightly off, leaving him to
await her return.

But, despite his interest in Mr. Harry Raynor, Cleek dropped discreetly
out of sight and into one of the many winding paths with which the
grounds abounded. A few minutes' gentle stroll along this particular one
brought him to the rear of the house, and before he quite realized it he
found himself within the precincts of the stable. The yard itself was
deserted save for a single groom who was evidently hard at work
polishing a boot, and which, judging from the muddy appearance of its
companion, must have p