tion it brought into the relations of the party, was immense.
From this point of view Mr. Wilkins was simply ideal; he was unique and
precious. Whenever she thought of him, and was perhaps inclined to
dwell on the aspects of him that were a little boring, she remembered
this and murmured, "But what a treasure."

Indeed it was Mr. Wilkins's one aim during his stay at San
Salvatore to be a treasure. At all costs the three ladies who were not
his wife must like him and trust him. Then presently when trouble
arose in their lives--and in what lives did not trouble sooner or later
arise?--they would recollect how reliable he was and how sympathetic,
and turn to him for advice. Ladies with something on their minds were
exactly what he wanted. Lady Caroline, he judged, had nothing on hers
at the moment, but so much beauty--for he could not but see what was
evident--must have had its difficulties in the past and would have more
of them before it had done. In the past he had not been at hand; in
the future he hoped to be. And meanwhile the behaviour of Mrs. Fisher,
the next in importance of the ladies from the professional point of
view, showed definite promise. It was almost certain that Mrs. Fisher
had something on her mind. He had been observing her attentively, and
it was almost certain.

With the third, with Mrs. Arbuthnot, he had up to this made least
headway, for she was so very retiring and quiet. But might not this
very retiringness, this tendency to avoid the others and spend her time
alone, indicate that she too was troubled? If so, he was her man. He
would cultivate her. He would follow her and sit with her, and
encourage her to tell him about herself. Arbuthnot, he understood from
Lotty, was a British Museum official--nothing specially important at
present, but Mr. Wilkins regarded it as his business to know all sorts
and kinds. Besides, there was promotion. Arbuthnot, promoted, might
become very much worth while.

As for Lotty, she was charming. She really had all the qualities
he had credited her with during his courtship, and they had been, it
appeared, merely in abeyance since. His early impressions of her were
now being endorsed by the affection and even admiration Lady Caroline
showed for her. Lady Caroline Dester was the last person, he was sure,
to be mistaken on such a subject. Her knowledge of the world, her
constant association with only the best, must make her quite unerring.
Lotty