r
success. You tackled the dowagers, and put them into a good temper by
asking after their ailments, and I managed the girls. Bless their
pretty hearts, they would do anything for me! You should have heard me
complimenting 'em, and quoting poetry by the yard, and all the while
luring 'em on towards the fancy stall. Then I'd nothing to do but
remark, `See that cosy? I drew the design.' `Observe that cushion?
that's my favourite colour,' and they fairly jostled each other in their
eagerness to buy it. It was our gentle influence behind the scene which
helped you on, young women; and don't you forget it."

Maud smiled; but the smile flickered out all too quickly, as her smiles
had a habit of doing nowadays, and her brother glanced at her sharply.
Maud was not herself, and he feared that he knew too well the reason of
the change. The news of Ned Talbot's engagement to Lilias had smitten
him dumb with surprise; but as none of the home letters breathed a hint
of a like feeling, he had tried to persuade himself that he had been
mistaken in his earlier surmises. This had been easy to do, for Master
Jim was not given to distressing himself unnecessarily; but since his
return home his fears had sprung into life again in unwelcome fashion.
When Maud returned to the house he rose as if to follow, but, changing
his mind, turned back and took possession of Kitty Maitland instead.

"What is the matter with my Maud?" he asked her the moment they had
turned a corner and were safely out of hearing. "She hasn't half the
life and go in her that she had last time I was home. What have you
been doing to her, I should like to know?"

Kitty elevated her eyebrows until they were almost lost to sight beneath
her curling hair.

"Personally," she said, "personally I have treated her with every
consideration. Maud is Maud, and no one in this neighbourhood would
dare to treat her otherwise. Of course if other people--from a
distance--choose to make lunatics of themselves, and--and--"

"All right--you need say no more! I thought as much; and as you and I
had discussed the situation together last year, I wanted to see if your
ideas agreed with mine. I could have sworn we were right, and can't
imagine how this muddle has come about. It's a big mistake anyhow, and
some one will find it out before long, or my name's not James Rendell.
It's not my business, I suppose, but I--I should uncommonly like to kick
somebody, just as a small r