y reason for
coming, which is also my excuse. I hope you will accept it."

Beth waited quietly.

"I told you I could always find out anything I wanted to know about
anybody," he pursued, "and last night I happened to sit next a lady at
a dinner-party who turned out to be a great friend of yours. I always
talk to strange ladies about what I've been doing; that kind of thing
interests them, you know; and I described the party here yesterday
afternoon, and said I only met one lady in the whole assembly worth
looking at and worth speaking to, and that was Mrs. Maclure, who was
staying in the house. 'Oh, I know her quite well,' the lady said.
'She's a neighbour of mine at Slane. Her husband is a doctor, but I
hear _she_ is connected with some of the best county people in the
north. She's very clever, I believe, and by way of being literary and
all that sort of thing, don't you know. But I don't think she has any
one to advise her.'"

"Oh," said Beth, enlightened, "I know who my great friend is
then--Mrs. Carne!"

"Yes," said Mr. Pounce, "and when I heard you were literary, I felt a
further affinity, for, as I daresay you have heard, I am a literary
man myself."

"Yes; I heard you were 'by way of being literary,' too," Beth
rejoined.

"Who told you so?" he demanded quickly, his whole thought instantly
concentrated on the interesting subject when it concerned himself.

"I do not feel at liberty to tell you," she replied.

"Was it Mrs. Kilroy?"

Beth made no sign.

"Was it Mr. Kilroy?" he persisted.

"I have already said that I shall not tell you, Mr. Pounce," she
answered frigidly.

He sat in silence for a little, looking extremely annoyed. Beth, to
relieve the tension, offered him some more tea, which he refused
curtly; but as she only smiled at the discourtesy and helped herself,
he saw fit to change his mind, and then resumed the conversation.

"When Mrs. Carne heard that I was a literary man," he said with
importance, "she begged me to do what I could to help you. She said it
would be a great kindness; so I promised I would, and here I am."

"So it seems," said Beth.

He stared at her. "I mean it," he said.

"I don't doubt it," Beth answered. "You and Mrs. Carne are extremely
kind."

"Oh, not at all!" he assured her blandly. "To me, at all events, it
will be a great pleasure to help and advise you."

"How do you propose to do it?" Beth asked, relaxing. Such obtuseness
was not to be taken seriously