me. He
has good prospects. So what does it matter if he does marry Leonetta?"

"Oh, Joseph," cried the harassed lady, "how little you can understand of
the whole affair! And as for you, Bella, it seems to me you've got the
whole thing topsy-turvy as usual."

"Oh, of course!" exclaimed Miss Mallowcoid, tetchily. "But I know one
thing. Denis is an honourable and well set-up young man, and an
excellent match, and it is madness to oppose him as you are doing. Lord
Henry won't find a husband for Leonetta, I suppose!"

"Bella, dear, if only you would for once speak of things you thoroughly
grasp and understand, it would be so refreshing!" snapped Mrs. Delarayne
angrily.

"I certainly think," said Sir Joseph, "that before we do anything we
might ask Denis his intentions towards Leonetta."

"But I don't like Denis, I tell you!" declared the widow. "You can see
what his intentions are without asking. Leonetta has driven him
thoroughly mad."

Sir Joseph shrugged his shoulders.

"Of course, Edith, that is simply blind prejudice," Miss Mallowcoid
averred, herself growing every minute more irate. "You don't see it, my
dear, I know, but it is grossly unfair. A most cultivated, charming
young man! Why, the way he spoke about poetry this morning,--nothing
could have been more edifying. As for your Lord Henry,--he doesn't know
what the word poetry means."

"I doubt that very much," said Mrs. Delarayne fidgeting unhappily with
the cards.

"There can surely be no harm, dear lady," said Sir Joseph, "in asking
Denis what his intentions are."

Mrs. Delarayne was still adamant. "I hate the insult to Cleo," she said,
"and I don't like him. But if you both insist."

Sir Joseph repudiated the suggestion that he insisted.

"Neither do I, of course," Miss Mallowcoid exclaimed with an ironic
smile. "A lot of good I should do by insisting."

"Do you propose to speak to him?" Mrs. Delarayne enquired of the
baronet.

"I will if you like."

"I think you might both do it," suggested Miss Mallowcoid. "At all
events, there's no immediate hurry," said Sir Joseph.

At this moment Denis and Leonetta came up the steps and were greeted by
the party at the card-table.

"Oh, my dear, how hot you look!" cried Mrs. Delarayne to her daughter.

"Yes, we've been stepping it out a bit, because I wanted to get home."

Mrs. Delarayne noticed that her child was badly dishevelled, and that
there was an unusually fiery glint in her eyes.

"What h