occurred to Claire's mind; that Erskine like herself
discounted such a possibility. He replied with a matter-of-fact
simplicity which left Claire marvelling at the obtuseness of mankind--

"Janet, of course. Janet Willoughby. We were staying in the same
house. We were talking of you yesterday morning, and comparing notes
generally. She said you were--oh! quite a number of agreeable things--
and I agreed with her, with just one exception. She considered that you
were responsive. I said I had never found any one less so. She said
you were always so ready to meet her halfway. I complained that you
refused to meet me at all. I ... er ... told her how I felt about it,
and she said my chance was waiting if I choose to take it--that you were
staying here keeping the mater company. So--"

Claire said nothing. She was thinking deeply. For how many days had
Janet been staying in the same house with Erskine? Perhaps a week,
certainly several days, yet it had been only yesterday morning that she
had given the news. Yesterday morning; and in three hours he had flown!
How was Janet faring now, while Claire was walking in fairyland?

"You are not angry? Why do you look so serious? Tell me you are not
sorry that I came?" said a deep voice close to her ear, but before she
had time to answer, footsteps approached, and Mrs Fanshawe's voice was
heard calling in raised accents--

"Erskine! are you there? Give me your arm, dear; I am so tired. It's
such a perfect night, that it seemed a shame to stay indoors. The Major
has been admiring `The Flowery Way.' It certainly looks its best to-
night." She turned towards Major Humphreys with her light, cynical
laugh. "My son declares that it is profanation to allow ordinary,
commonplace mortals to walk up those steps! He always escorts my
visitors round by another way. He is ungallant enough to say that he
has never yet seen a girl whom he would care to watch walk up those
steps in the moonlight. She would have to be quite ideal in every
respect to fit into the picture. We'll go round by the lily garden,
Erskine, and then I think Miss Gifford and I will be off to bed. You
men will enjoy a smoke."

For the next ten minutes Mrs Fanshawe kept tight hold of her son's arm,
and Claire talked assiduously to Major Humphreys. She knew now why
Erskine had asked her to walk ahead up "The Flowery Way!"

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

ALL IN A GARDEN FAIR.

The next afternoon a pa