t of them had reached Overington Grange. Did Lacey brave the
disapproval of his family for nothing? While Eunice joined the gay group
which followed Jenny as she made a progress round the tables, Lady
Aspenick fell to my share.

"All this is a great triumph for Jenny's friends," she remarked. "Those
of us who have been her friends all through, I mean."

"It must be very gratifying to you, Lady Aspenick."

"I have been loyal," she said with candid pride, "and I am loyal still,
although, as I told you, I can't approve of everything she does." Her
eyes were on the group in front of us, where Lacey walked between Eunice
and Margaret. Dormer was escorting Jenny, with the new Mayor of
Breysgate on her other side.

"She has her own way of doing things," I murmured. "Sometimes they come
off."

"Amyas Lacey here, too! How is that regarded at the Manor?"

"You ask me--but I shouldn't wonder if you knew better than I do," said
I, smiling.

"Well, I admit I know Lady Sarah's views; she makes no secret of them. I
was thinking of--well, of his father, you know. He doesn't share these
visits!"

"If common gossip was right, there's an obvious explanation of that."

"Yes, but it seems to me to apply to the son almost as strongly." She
turned her eyeglasses sharply round to my face. "Having jilted his
father----"

"I didn't say I believed the common gossip; but even the fact of its
having existed might make him shy of----"

"Oh, come, we both know a good deal more than that about it! However,
let's hope they'll make it up--through Amyas. He can act as peacemaker,
and then we may have the wedding after all!"

Lady Aspenick's voice failed to carry conviction. It was borne in upon
me that she did not believe in her own forecast--that she knew very
well, from information gleaned in the enemy's camp, that there was small
chance of Lacey's effecting a reconciliation, and none at all of a
marriage between Jenny and Fillingford coming off. She threw out the
suggestion as a feeler; another possible alliance was really in her
mind. She might elicit some hint about that; if people spoke truly, she
was interested in the subject for her daughter's sake. Was it possible
that Jenny, having lost the father, would annex the son? That was in her
mind. It would be rather a strong thing to do--but then, Lady Aspenick
would retort, "Only look at the things she does!" The woman who brought
Margaret Octon to Breysgate--would she hesitate at capt