brother-in-law--whom, God knows why, Mitchy runs."

"Runs?" Mr. Longdon again echoed.

Mrs. Brook appealed afresh to Vanderbank. "I think we ought to spare
him. I may not remind you of mamma," she continued to their companion,
"but I hope you don't mind my saying how much you remind me.
Explanations, after all, spoil things, and if you CAN make anything of
us and will sometimes come back you'll find everything in its native
freshness. You'll see, you'll feel for yourself."

Mr. Longdon stood before her and raised to Vanderbank, when she had
ceased, the eyes he had attached to the carpet while she talked. "And
must I go now?" Explanations, she had said, spoiled things, but he might
have been a stranger at an Eastern court--comically helpless without his
interpreter.

"If Mrs. Brook desires to 'spare' you," Vanderbank kindly replied, "the
best way to make sure of it would perhaps indeed be to remove you. But
hadn't we a hope of Nanda?"

"It might be of use for us to wait for her?"--it was still to his young
friend that Mr. Longdon put it.

"Ah when she's once on the loose--!" Mrs. Brookenham sighed.

"Unless la voila," she said as a hand was heard at the door-latch. It
was only, however, a footman who entered with a little tray that, on
his approaching his mistress, offered to sight the brown envelope of
a telegram. She immediately took leave to open this missive, after
the quick perusal of which she had another vision of them all. "It IS
she--the modern daughter. 'Tishy keeps me dinner and opera; clothes
all right; return uncertain, but if before morning have latch-key.' She
won't come home till morning!" said Mrs. Brook.

"But think of the comfort of the latch-key!" Vanderbank laughed. "You
might go to the opera," he said to Mr. Longdon.

"Hanged if _I_ don't!" Mr. Cashmore exclaimed.

Mr. Longdon appeared to have caught from Nanda's message an obscure
agitation; he met his young friend's suggestion at all events with a
visible intensity. "Will you go with me?"

Vanderbank had just debated, recalling engagements; which gave Mrs.
Brook time to intervene. "Can't you live without him?" she asked of her
elder friend.

Vanderbank had looked at her an instant. "I think I can get there late,"
he then replied to Mr. Longdon.

"I think _I_ can get there early," Mr. Cashmore declared. "Mrs. Grendon
must have a box; in fact I know which, and THEY don't," he jocosely
continued to his hostess.

Mrs. Brook meanwhil