every day under such circumstances, it was difficult to say. To the
simply conservative of mind, the idea of filling one's house with dirty
East End hop pickers infected with typhoid seemed too radical. Surely
he could have done something less extraordinary. Would everybody
be expected to turn their houses into hospitals in case of village
epidemics, now that he had established a precedent? But there were
people who approved, and were warm in their sympathy with him. At the
first dinner party where the matter was made the subject of argument,
the beautiful Miss Vanderpoel, who was present, listened silently to the
talk with such brilliant eyes that Lord Dunholm, who was in an elderly
way her staunch admirer, spoke to her across the table:

"Tell us what YOU think of it, Miss Vanderpoel," he suggested.

She did not hesitate at all.

"I like it," she answered, in her clear, well-heard voice. "I like it
better than anything I have ever heard."

"So do I," said old Lady Alanby shortly. "I should never have done it
myself--but I like it just as you do."

"I knew you would, Lady Alanby," said the girl. "And you, too, Lord
Dunholm."

"I like it so much that I shall write and ask if I cannot be of
assistance," Lord Dunholm answered.

Betty was glad to hear this. Only quickness of thought prevented her
from the error of saying, "Thank you," as if the matter were personal to
herself. If Mount Dunstan was restive under the obviousness of the fact
that help was so sorely needed, he might feel less so if her offer was
only one among others.

"It seems rather the duty of the neighbourhood to show some interest,"
put in Lady Alanby. "I shall write to him myself. He is evidently of
a new order of Mount Dunstan. It's to be hoped he won't take the fever
himself, and die of it He ought to marry some handsome, well-behaved
girl, and re-found the family."

Nigel Anstruthers spoke from his side of the table, leaning slightly
forward.

"He won't if he does not take better care of himself. He passed me
on the road two days ago, riding like a lunatic. He looks frightfully
ill--yellow and drawn and lined. He has not lived the life to prepare
him for settling down to a fight with typhoid fever. He would be done
for if he caught the infection."

"I beg your pardon," said Lord Dunholm, with quiet decision.
"Unprejudiced inquiry proves that his life has been entirely
respectable. As Lady Alanby says, he seems to be of a new order of