, had gone
right home to Hilary's. He sought within him how to deepen the
impression.

"You mean a lot to us," he said. "Cis and Thyme would feel it awfully if
you and B.---" He stopped.

Hilary was looking at him; that faintly smiling glance, searching him
through and through, suddenly made Stephen feel inferior. He had been
detected trying to extract capital from the effect of his little piece of
brotherly love. He was irritated at his brother's insight.

"I have no right to give advice, I suppose," he said; "but in my opinion
you should drop it--drop it dead. The girl is not worth your looking
after. Turn her over to that Society--Mrs. Tallents Smallpeace's thing
whatever it's called."

At a sound as of mirth Stephen, who was not accustomed to hear his
brother laugh, looked round.

"Martin," said Hilary, "also wants the case to be treated on strictly
hygienic grounds."

Nettled by this, Stephen answered:

"Don't confound me with our young Sanitist, please; I simply think there
are probably a hundred things you don't know about the girl which ought
to be cleared up."

"And then?"

"Then," said Stephen, "they could--er--deal with her accordingly."

Hilary shrank so palpably at this remark that he added rather hastily:

"You call that cold-blooded, I suppose; but I think, you know, old chap,
that you're too sensitive."

Hilary stopped rather abruptly.

"If you don't mind, Stevie," he said, "we'll part here. I want to think
it over." So saying, he turned back, and sat down on a seat that faced
the sun.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE PERFECT DOG

Hilary sat long in the sun, watching the pale bright waters and many
well-bred ducks circling about the shrubs, searching with their round,
bright eyes for worms. Between the bench where he was sitting and the
spiked iron railings people passed continually--men, women, children of
all kinds. Every now and then a duck would stop and cast her knowing
glance at these creatures, as though comparing the condition of their
forms and plumage with her own. 'If I had had the breeding of you,' she
seemed to say, 'I could have made a better fist of it than that. A
worse-looking lot of ducks, take you all round. I never wish to see!' And
with a quick but heavy movement of her shoulders, she would turn away and
join her fellows.

Hilary, however, got small distraction from the ducks. The situation
gradually developing was something of a dilemma to a man better