At the Court Mark is a special favorite, yet so pretty a speech coming
from Portia, who is usually so cold and indolent, strikes one as
strange. Fabian regards her earnestly. How beautiful she is, yet how
unsympathetic; has she no soul, no feeling? Surely her eyes, so large,
so deep, so intense, belie this thought.

As though compelling himself, he says, with a visible effort:

"Have you been indoors all this lovely day? Has the sun had no power to
tempt you to come out?"

"No;" she shakes her head as she answers him, and smiles, too, but the
smile is cold as death, and though perfect, is altogether different from
the one bestowed only a minute since upon Sir Mark.

"Then come out now," says Gore, as though pleasantly impressed by the
suggestion conveyed in Fabian's speech. "Let us all shake off dull sloth
and make a tour right round the gardens."

"A charming idea," says Portia, sitting more upright, and brightening
visibly. She grows even animated, and animation, even of the faintest,
is to be commended on such a day as this.

"Take your cousin to see the new carp-pond," says Gore, addressing
Fabian, but watching Portia attentively. "You will like to see it,
Portia?"

"So _very_ much," says Portia. "But if I do go it must be with Dicky."

Her manner as she says this gives both the men fully to understand that
early in the day she had pledged herself to go for a walk some time in
the afternoon. So far, so good--it _might_ have so explained
itself--but, unfortunately, at this moment Dicky Browne (who, as Dulce
says, is always in the wrong place at the wrong time) comes up behind
them, and addresses them generally:

"What are you all conspiring about?" he says, genially. "Roger and
Dulce, for the fourteenth time to-day, have again agreed to differ, so I
seek refuge here. Take me in, will you? And, by-the-by, what shall we do
with ourselves this grilling day!"

"I have just been suggesting a quiet stroll," says Sir Mark.

"The very thing," exclaims Mr. Browne, who is amiability itself. "Why on
earth didn't we think of that before? Portia, if you will come with me,
if you have not promised," with a glance at Sir Mark, "to go with anyone
else, I will show you a new tennis court that will draw tears of
admiration from your eyes."

This is the unfortunate part of it. It now becomes apparent to every one
that Dicky did _not_ ask her early in the morning to go for a walk
anywhere. Silence follows Dicky's speec