explosion of barking made itself heard over the tramp of horses'
feet and the crash of carriage wheels outside.

Miss Pink rose slowly, with a dignity that looked capable of adequately
receiving--not one noble lady only, but the whole peerage of England.

"Control yourself, dear Isabel," she said. "No well-bred young lady
permits herself to become unduly excited. Stand by my side--a little
behind me."

Isabel obeyed. Mr. Troy kept his place, and privately enjoyed his
triumph over Miss Pink. If Lady Lydiard had been actually in league with
him, she could not have chosen a more opportune time for her visit. A
momentary interval passed. The carriage drew up at the door; the horses
trampled on the gravel; the bell rung madly; the uproar of Tommie,
released from the carriage and clamoring to be let in, redoubled its
fury. Never before had such an unruly burst of noises invaded the
tranquility of Miss Pink's villa!

CHAPTER XI.

THE trim little maid-servant ran upstairs from her modest little
kitchen, trembling at the terrible prospect of having to open the door.
Miss Pink, deafened by the barking, had just time to say, "What a very
ill-behaved dog!" when a sound of small objects overthrown in the hall,
and a scurrying of furious claws across the oil-cloth, announced that
Tommie had invaded the house. As the servant appeared, introducing Lady
Lydiard, the dog ran in. He made one frantic leap at Isabel, which would
certainly have knocked her down but for the chair that happened to be
standing behind her. Received on her lap, the faithful creature half
smothered her with his caresses. He barked, he shrieked, in his joy at
seeing her again. He jumped off her lap and tore round and round the
room at the top of his speed; and every time he passed Miss Pink he
showed the whole range of his teeth and snarled ferociously at her
ankles. Having at last exhausted his superfluous energy, he leaped back
again on Isabel's lap, with his tongue quivering in his open mouth--his
tail wagging softly, and his eye on Miss Pink, inquiring how she liked a
dog in her drawing-room!

"I hope my dog has not disturbed you, ma'am?" said Lady Lydiard,
advancing from the mat at the doorway, on which she had patiently waited
until the raptures of Tommie subsided into repose.

Miss Pink, trembling between terror and indignation, acknowledged Lady
Lydiard's polite inquiry by a ceremonious bow, and an answer which
administered by implication a di