hat silly lad some worthless shares--and
there were other people looking on?"

He would not tell her that Gladwyne had watched the proceedings, to some
extent acquiescing.

"I thought from what you said that you knew all about it," he answered.

"No," she replied, suspecting the truth, but seeing that it would be
difficult to extract anything definite from him. "I only heard that you
had an encounter of some kind with Batley. But why did you hint that he
was not the worst?"

"He was merely acting in accordance with his instincts; one wouldn't
expect anything else."

"The implication is that he was tacitly abetted by people of a different
kind who ought to have known better."

He was not to be drawn on this point, and she respected him for it.

"Was it only an animus against Batley that prompted you?" she asked.

"No," he admitted candidly; "I wanted to get young Crestwick out of his
clutches. I'm not sure he's worth troubling about, but I'm sorry for his
sister. As I've said before, there's something fine in the way she sticks
to him."

The chivalrous feeling did him credit, Millicent admitted, but she was
dissatisfied with it and was curious to learn if it were the only one he
cherished toward the girl.

"That's undoubtedly in her favor," she commented indifferently.

He did not respond and they talked about other matters; but Lisle was now
sensible of a slight constraint in Millicent's manner and on the whole
she was glad when he took his leave. Quick-witted, as she was, she
guessed that he disapproved of the part Clarence had played in the affair
at Marple's, and this, chiming with her own suspicions, troubled her. She
had a tenderness for Clarence, and she wondered how far her influence
might restrain and protect him if, as his mother had suggested, she
eventually married him. Another point caused her some uneasiness--Bella
Crestwick had boldly entered the field against her and was making use of
the Canadian to rouse Clarence by showing him that he had a rival. The
thought of it stirred her to indignation; she would not have Lisle
treated in that fashion. After sitting still for half an hour, she rose
with a gesture of impatience and went into the house.

On the same evening Bella Crestwick felt impelled to lecture her brother
after dinner. That was not a favorable time, for the young man's good
opinion of himself was generally strengthened by a glass or two of wine.

"I thought that matter of the sha