, as an escort, engaged to be married
so shortly as he was known to be, was perfectly unobjectionable.

Beatrice went, and, as we have seen, lunched at Walpole Lodge. She had
told her mother not to expect her till late in the afternoon, as, in all
probability, Lady Kynaston would drive her into town and would drop her
in Eaton Square at the end of her drive. Mrs. Miller, to whose watchful
maternal mind the Temple and Kew appeared to be in such totally different
directions that they presented no connecting suggestions, agreed,
unsuspiciously, not to expect her daughter back until after six o'clock.

In this way Beatrice secured the whole afternoon to herself to do what
she liked with it. She was not slow to make use of it. There was all
the pluck of the Esterworths in her veins, together with all the
determination and energy which had raised her father's family from
a race of shopkeepers to take their place amongst gentlemen.

As soon as Captain Kynaston joined the two ladies in the garden at
Walpole Lodge after luncheon Beatrice requested him to order a hansom to
be fetched for her.

"Why should you hurry away?" said Maurice, politely. "My mother will take
you back to town in the carriage if you will wait."

Helen was stooping over the flower-beds, gathering some violets. Beatrice
stepped closer to Maurice.

"Don't say a word, there's a good fellow, but get me the
hansom--and--and--please don't mention it at home."

Then Maurice, who was no tyro in such matters, understood that it was
expected of him that he should ask no questions, but do what he was told
and hold his tongue.

The sequence of which proceedings was, that a hansom cab drew up at the
far corner of the little stone-flagged court in the Temple between four
and five that afternoon.

Mr. Pryme was no longer by the window when it did so, so that he was
totally unprepared for the visitor, whose trembling and twice-repeated
tap at his door he answered somewhat impatiently--

"Come in, and be d----d to you, and don't stand rapping at that door all
day."

The people, as a rule, who solicited admittance to his chambers were
either the boy from the legal light below, who came to ask whether the
papers were ready that had been sent up this morning, or else they were
smiling and sleek-faced tradesmen who washed their hands insinuatingly
whilst they requested that Mr. Pryme would be kind enough to settle that
little outstanding account.

Either of these