grew rigid. She turned on him a look of
indignation and contempt. "Everybody wants to see her on business. But
some of them have had the grace to wait."

He smiled in the faint tolerant manner of a man so steeped in the
bitterness of the situation that no comment on it can add a further
sting.

"I can't wait. My business hasn't much to do with me; but it has a
great deal to do with Miss Harden."

She looked at him as he spoke. Something in his face and in his voice
too made her feel that her judgement of him had been unspeakably,
unpardonably coarse.

"I beg your pardon," she said gently.

"Oh don't. I'm not surprised that you thought that of me."

"I didn't think it. I don't quite know what I'm saying. I've spent the
last two days trying to keep fools from worrying her. I hate the
people who want to go to her; I hate the people who keep away; I hate
them all. But I'm sorry I spoke like that to you. You look horribly
ill."

"I'm not ill. But I'm nearly out of my mind about this business."

"What is it? Tell me, has it anything to do with the library?

"Yes."

"Well; the library's going to be sold."

"I know. That's what I want to speak to her about."

"There's not a bit of good in speaking to her. There are at this
moment," said Kitty incisively, "two persons in the house who call
themselves the men in possession."

"The brutes--"

"You may as well sit down. You can't turn them out, they're two to
one, and their position is, I believe, legally sound."

"I must go to her at once--I knew this would happen--Miss Palliser, is
any one with her?"

"I am with her. I'm going back to her in a minute; but I want to talk
to you first. Everybody's looking at us, but that can't be helped. Did
you say you _knew_ this would happen?"

"Yes--Miss Palliser, I'm in the most intolerable position with regard
to Miss Harden."

"You knew they were making these arrangements?"

"Oh yes, I knew it all the time I was working for her. What's more,
I'm supposed to be the agent for the sale."

"Well--if it's got to be sold, why not?"

"Well, you see, my father's only an ordinary dealer. I'm about the
only person concerned who knows the real value and I know that it's
been undervalued. Of course, without the smallest dishonesty on Mr.
Pilkington's part."

"Mr. who?" Kitty had not yet heard of Mr. Pilkington.

"Pilkington."

"What's his address?"

He gave it her.

Kitty made a note of the name and address.

"Unfo