end to be surprised, wouldn't it?" she said
rather lamely, and crossed to the tea-table to pour out her own cup of
tea. "And it is superfluous to hope you'll be happy and prosperous and
all that; so I'll just say, my dear future-in-law, I think you're a
devilish lucky man!..." And Diana snapped it out as if an
unaccountable sensation demanded an explosive of some sort.

"My dear!... my dear!..." cried Aunt Emily in outraged horror. "Do try
to remember where you are and who you are! If you indulge in such
vulgar, disgraceful language on the golf course, you certainly cannot
expect to repeat it in the drawing-room." But Diana paid no heed. She
had already observed that Meryl, though blushing faintly, avoided
meeting her eyes.

"And what about this brilliant speech of General Grets' reported this
morning? Will your party allow you to consummate the match, do you
think?..." with biting sarcasm.

But van Hert only laughed good-temperedly. "Could it in any way better
be given the lie?" he asked, and before that irrefutable logic Diana
was silent.

Neither could she see her way to raising any reasonable objections,
when a little, later the engagement was announced broadcast with
considerable beating of big drums, but she flung a few sarcasms about
with some violence.

She flung one or two at her uncle, being at a loss to understand his
taking the engagement so quietly; but if she had been present at the
interview between him and Meryl before the final sanction was given,
she would have seen that he too could hardly act otherwise. In truth,
Meryl perplexed them both in those first few days, for she was so calm
and quiet and self-contained they both felt a little dumb before her.
It was as if, having finally made up her mind, she was determined to
avoid all paths that might weaken her and take her stand alone. She
was far more quiet and composed than either her father or Diana. These
did not say much, but they showed perhaps the more. Henry Pym's hair
whitened perceptibly, as if from some stern mental trouble, and Diana
was uncertain, peevish, and difficult to please. Only once the subject
was alluded to between them.

"I confess the news took me rather by surprise," her uncle admitted in
reply to some sally of hers, "and I was a little at a loss to follow
her actions."

"Actions?..." sniffed Diana. "What actions?... None were needed; it is
the result of meditation."

"You mean?..." questioningly.

"Heroics and mart