et at the way in which you're getting yourself
talked about. Unfortunately she holds me partly responsible for having
induced you to visit this Maisie woman. 'You ought to have known him
better,' she says. 'There's an immoral streak in him--an inherited
taint, which I, for one, always suspected.' She was wondering whether
you have any knowledge of there having been insanity in your family."

After having invented such discomforting surmises and given his wife the
credit for them, the old gentleman would blink his crafty eyes and rest
his hand affectionately on Tabs' arm. At the end of each visit he was
pressed to call again; but when he called, it was to find himself
shepherded into the library, safely out of reach of Terry, in order that
he might hear his conduct discussed afresh, either directly or by
insinuation.

He was unable to defend himself without betraying Terry. She maintained
her silence with regard to Braithwaite, refusing to take her parents
into her confidence. They naturally attributed the hanging fire of the
engagement to Tabs, supposing that on the eve of his proposal he had
been ensnared in the net of Maisie. In their eyes he cut a shabby
figure.

Behind his back Terry came to his defense. She would hear and believe no
wrong of him. This only proved to her parents that her heart still
followed him. They thought her very brave and became more gloomy in
their accusations. Matters took a serious turn: her health began to
fail. When the doctor was summoned, he ascribed the cause to secret
worrying and prescribed a complete change. Tabs received no word of this
happening, for Terry had become increasingly shy, so that she created
the appearance of avoiding him. She quite definitely avoided Maisie.

There came a day in early June when he went to call on her and was
informed by the velvet-plush James that Miss Terry was out of London on
a visit of undetermined length. When he asked for her address, James
shook his head mournfully. She had been ill and was to be spared all
disturbing communications. His orders were that her address was to be
given to nobody.

"But that order doesn't apply to me," Tabs urged.

James became more profoundly agitated. He averted his eyes, while he
fiddled with the last button of his plump waistcoat. "I regret to say,
to your Lordship most especially."

"Humph!" Tabs stroked his chin. "Is Sir Tobias at home?"

"Your Lordship would gain nothing by seeing Sir Tobias."

"Y