l overtures
at that time. However, he turned at the foot of the upper flight.

"I would like to talk to you, Lily. Will you come upstairs?"

She had been summoned before to those mysterious upper rooms of his,
where entrance was always by request, and generally such requests
presaged trouble. But she followed him light-heartedly enough then. His
rare compliment had pleased and touched her.

The lamp beside his high-backed, almost throne-like chair was lighted,
and in the dressing-room beyond his valet was moving about, preparing
for the night. Anthony dismissed the man, and sat down under the lamp.

"You heard the discussion downstairs, to-night, Lily. Personally I
anticipate no trouble, but if there is any it may be directed at this
house." He smiled grimly. "I cannot rely on my personal popularity
to protect me, I fear. Your mother obstinately refuses to leave your
father, but I have decided to send you to your grand-aunt Caroline."

"Aunt Caroline! She doesn't care for me, grandfather. She never has."

"That is hardly pertinent, is it? The situation is this: She intends to
open the Newport house early in June, and at my request she will bring
you out there. Next fall we will do something here; I haven't decided
just what."

There was a sudden wild surge of revolt in Lily. She hated Newport.
Grand-aunt Caroline was a terrible person. She was like Anthony,
domineering and cruel, and with even less control over her tongue.

"I need not point out the advantages of the plan," said Anthony suavely.
"There may be trouble here, although I doubt it. But in any event you
will have to come out, and this seems an excellent way."

"Is it a good thing to spend a lot of money now, grandfather, when there
is so much discontent?"

Old Anthony had a small jagged vein down the center of his forehead, and
in anger or his rare excitements it stood out like a scar. Lily saw it
now, but his voice was quiet enough.

"I consider it vitally important to the country to continue its social
life as before the war."

"You mean, to show we are not frightened?"

"Frightened! Good God, nobody's frightened. It will take more than a
handful of demagogues to upset this government. Which brings me to
a subject you insist on reopening, by your conduct. I have reason to
believe that you are still going to that man's house."

He never called Doyle by name if he could avoid it.

"I have been there several times."

"After you were forbidde