e smallest
unbending, the least hint of a joke, from him seemed something gained.

"That's the old lady with the fat horses, isn't it? She looks very kind
and nice."

"Hum!" said Alison. Fillingford gave a wintry smile. "Mrs. Jepps and I
are considered the two ogres of the neighborhood," he said.

Her little hand darted impulsively across the table toward him, and was
as quickly drawn back--one of her ventures, followed by her merry
confusion. "You! Oh, nonsense! I don't believe that!"

"Ah, you haven't heard all the stories about me!"

"I've only heard that you're very--really very kind and--and just." She
was summoning all her courage; she was full of deprecation and appeal.

"Who told you that?"

She cast a look of dismay at me, and I came to her rescue. "Your son, of
course, Lord Fillingford. We see him sometimes at Breysgate."

"I know you do." He shot out the words and shut his lips close after
them.

She looked distressed and rather puzzled; after thawing a little, he had
relapsed into frost at the first mention of his son. Alison seemed to
think a diversion desirable.

"Before you go, I should like to show you our chapel. We have a little
one of our own here. We use it in the early mornings sometimes, and for
prayers after supper."

She jumped at the proposal, both for its own sake, I think, and for a
refuge from her embarrassment.

"We'll be back directly," said Alison, as they left Fillingford and
myself together.

Fillingford sat in silence for some moments. Then he said slowly, "I
didn't know that your newcomer at Breysgate was so attractive."

Jenny had not reckoned on my being left alone with him. I had no
instructions, and had to choose my own course. "I thought that perhaps
Lacey would have told you about her?"

He looked me in the face with his heavy deliberate gaze. "We don't often
speak of his visits to Breysgate." He paused and then added, with
something of restrained vehemence in his tone, "I don't care to ask
either the number or the object of his visits--and he hasn't volunteered
any information to me on either point."

"His visits are frequent," I remarked. "As to their object----"

"I don't think we need discuss that--you and I, Mr. Austin."

"I was only going to say that we could neither of us do more than guess
at it."

For a moment he lost his self-control. "I hope to Heaven my guess is
wrong--that's all," he said hotly.

Surprised out of reserve, he leaned forward t