ed friend to look at his watch and consider. "I
should like to come in for the grand _finale_, but I rattled over in a
great measure to meet a party, as he calls himself--and calls, if you
please, even me!--who's motoring down by appointment and whom I think I
should be here to receive; as well as a little, I confess, in the hope
of a glimpse of Lady Grace: if you can perhaps imagine _that!_"

"I can imagine it perfectly," said Lady Sandgate, whom evidently no
perceptions of that general order ever cost a strain. "It quite sticks
out of you, and every one moreover has for some time past been waiting
to see. But you haven't then," she added, "come from town?"

"No, I'm for three days at Chanter with my mother; whom, as she kindly
lent me her car, I should have rather liked to bring."

Lady Sandgate left the unsaid, in this connection, languish no
longer than was decent. "But whom you doubtless had to leave, by her
preference, just settling down to bridge."

"Oh, to sit down would imply that my mother at some moment of the day
gets up----!"

"Which the Duchess never does?"--Lady Sand-gate only asked to be allowed
to show how she saw it. "She fights to the last, invincible; gathering
in the spoils and only routing her friends?" She abounded genially in
her privileged vision. "Ah yes--we know something of that!"

Lord John, who was a young man of a rambling but not of an idle eye,
fixed her an instant with a surprise that was yet not steeped in
compassion. "You too then?"

She wouldn't, however, too meanly narrow it down. "Well, in this house
generally; where I'm so often made welcome, you see, and where----"

"Where," he broke in at once, "your jolly good footing quite sticks out
of _you_, perhaps you'll let me say!"

She clearly didn't mind his seeing her ask herself how she should deal
with so much rather juvenile intelligence; and indeed she could only
decide to deal quite simply. "You can't say more than I feel--and am
proud to feel!--at being of comfort when they're worried."

This but fed the light flame of his easy perception--which lighted for
him, if she would, all the facts equally. "And they're worried now,
you imply, because my terrible mother is capable of heavy gains and of
making a great noise if she isn't paid? I ought to mind speaking of
that truth," he went on as with a practised glance in the direction of
delicacy; "but I think I should like you to know that I myself am not a
bit ignorant of w