nt Akers cutting down a
tree. Man's a fool! I rather got let in for seeing her ladyship. Your
mother arranged it."

"I didn't hear of it. I should have stopped. So would 'Re."

"Yes--it rather let me in for a ... _tete-a-tete_." Why did Sir Hamilton
feel that this expression was an edged tool, that might cut his fingers?
He did.

"I should have been in the way."

Another time this might have procured a rebuke for levity. Sir Hamilton
perceived in it a stepping-stone to his text. "Perhaps you might," he
said. But he wavered, lest that stone should not bear; adding,
indecisively:--"Well--we had some talk!"

"About?" said his son. But he knew perfectly well what about.

"About Gwen and yourself. That conversation of yours with the Earl. You
remember it? You told me."

"I remember it, certainly. He was perfectly right--the Earl. He's the
sort of man that is right. I was horribly ashamed of myself. But Gwen
set me up in my own conceit again."

His father persevered. "I understood his view to be that Gwen was under
the influence of ... was influenced by ... a distorted view ... a
mistaken imagination...."

"Not a doubt of it, I should think. My _amour propre_ keeps on
suggesting to me that Gwen may be of sound mind. My strong common sense
replies that my _amour propre_ may be blowed!"

"Adrian, I wish to talk to you seriously. What did you suppose I was
referring to?"

"To Gwen's distorted view of your humble servant--a clear case of
mistaken imagination. That, however, is a condition precedent of the
position. Dan Cupid would be hard up, otherwise."

"Dan Who?"

"The little God of Love ... not Daniel Anybody! Wasn't that what the
Earl meant?"

"Not at all! I was referring to his view of ... a ... his daughter's
view ... of the accident ... some idea of her making up to you for ..."
No wonder he hesitated. It _was_ difficult to talk to his son about it.

Adrian cleared the air with a ringing laugh. "I know! What Gwen calls
the Self-Denying Ordinance!--her daddy's expression, I believe." He
settled down to a more restrained and serious tone. "The subject has not
been mentioned, since Lord Ancester's first conversation with me--in the
consulship of Mrs. Bailey, at the Towers--not mentioned by anyone. And
though the thought of it won't accept any suggestions towards its
extinction, from myself, I don't see my way to ... to making it a
subject of general conversation. In fact, I cannot do anything but hold
my