she described the knights of the age of chivalry as
"korvorting about on the off-chance of a dragon"; she explained she
was "always old mucking about the garden," and instead of offering me a
Garibaldi biscuit, she asked me with that faint lisp of hers, to
"have some squashed flies, George." I felt convinced Lady Osprey
would describe her as "a most eccentric person" on the very first
opportunity;--"a most eccentric person." One could see her, as people
say, "shaping" for that.

Beatrice was dressed very quietly in brown, with a simple but courageous
broad-brimmed hat, and an unexpected quality of being grown-up and
responsible. She guided her step-mother through the first encounter,
scrutinised my aunt, and got us all well in movement through the house,
and then she turned her attention to me with a quick and half-confident
smile.

"We haven't met," she said, "since--"

"It was in the Warren."

"Of course," she said, "the Warren! I remembered it all except just the
name.... I was eight."

Her smiling eyes insisted on my memories being thorough. I looked up and
met them squarely, a little at a loss for what I should say.

"I gave you away pretty completely," she said, meditating upon my face.
"And afterwards I gave way Archie."

She turned her face away from the others, and her voice fell ever so
little.

"They gave him a licking for telling lies!" she said, as though that was
a pleasant memory. "And when it was all over I went to our wigwam. You
remember the wigwam?"

"Out in the West Wood?"

"Yes--and cried--for all the evil I had done you, I suppose.... I've
often thought of it since."...

Lady Osprey stopped for us to overtake her. "My dear!" she said to
Beatrice. "Such a beautiful gallery!" Then she stared very hard at me,
puzzled in the most naked fashion to understand who I might be.

"People say the oak staircase is rather good," said my aunt, and led the
way.

Lady Osprey, with her skirts gathered for the ascent to the gallery
and her hand on the newel, turned and addressed a look full of meaning
overflowing indeed with meanings--at her charge. The chief meaning
no doubt was caution about myself, but much of it was just meaning at
large. I chanced to catch the response in a mirror and detected Beatrice
with her nose wrinkled into a swift and entirely diabolical grimace.
Lady Osprey became a deeper shade of pink and speechless with
indignation--it was evident she disavowed all further responsi