suspicions, seems
inclined to accept him."

"Captain Griffiths dined here the other night," Philippa remarked, "and
I noticed that he and Mr. Lessingham seemed to get on very well."

"The fellow's all right in his way, no doubt," Sir Henry began.

"Of course he is," Philippa interrupted. "Helen likes him quite as much
as I do."

"Does he make love to Helen, too?" Sir Henry ventured.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Philippa retorted. "He isn't that sort of a
man at all. If he has made love to me, he has done so because I have
encouraged him, and if I have encouraged him, it is your fault."

Sir Henry, with an impatient exclamation, rose from his place and took a
cigarette from an open box.

"Quite time I stayed at home, I can see. All the same, the fellow's
rather a puzzle. I can't help wondering how he succeeded in making
such an easy conquest of a lady who has scarcely been notorious for her
flirtations, and a young woman who is madly in love with another man. He
hasn't--"

"Hasn't what?"

"He hasn't," Sir Henry continued, blowing out the match which he
had been holding to his cigarette and throwing it away, "been in the
position of being able to render you or Helen any service, has he?"

"I don't understand you," Philippa replied, a little uneasily.

"There's nothing to understand," Sir Henry went on. "I was simply trying
to find some explanation for his veni, vidi, vici."

"I don't think you need go any further than the fact," Philippa
observed, "that he is well-bred, charming and companionable."

"Incidentally," Sir Henry queried, "do you happen to have come across
any one here who ever heard of him before?"

"I don't remember any one," Philippa replied. "He was at college with
Richard, you know."

Sir Henry nodded.

"Of course, that's a wonderful introduction to you and Helen," he
admitted. "And by-the-by, that reminds me," he went on, "I never saw
such a change in two women in my life, as in you and Helen. A few weeks
ago you were fretting yourselves to death about Dick. Now you don't seem
to mention him, you both of you look as though you hadn't a care in the
world, and yet you say you haven't heard from him. Upon my word, this is
getting to be a house of mysteries!"

"The only mystery in it that I can see, is you, Henry," she declared.

"Me?" he protested. "I'm one of the simplest-minded fellows alive. What
is there mysterious about me?"

"Your ignominious life," was the cold reply.

"Jove, I