ld a mere handsome girl be concerned in it?
And yet--here she was.

"When I drove through the village," he said next, "I saw that some
remarkable changes had taken place on my property. I feel as if you can
explain them to me."

"I hope they are changes which meet with your approval."

"Quite--quite," a little curtly. "Though I confess they mystify me.
Though I am the son-in-law of an American multimillionaire, I could not
afford to make such repairs myself."

A certain small spitefulness which was his most frequent undoing made it
impossible for him to resist adding the innuendo in his last sentence.
And again he saw it was a folly. The impersonal tone of her reply simply
left him where he had placed himself.

"We were sorry not to be able to reach you. As it seemed well to begin
the work at once, we consulted Messrs. Townlinson & Sheppard."

"We?" he repeated. "Am I to have the pleasure," with a slight wryness of
the mouth, "of finding Mr. Vanderpoel also at Stornham?"

"No--not yet. As I was on the spot, I saw your solicitors and asked
their advice and approval--for my father. If he had known how necessary
the work was, it would have been done before, for Ughtred's sake."

Her voice was that of a person who, in stating obvious facts, provides
no approach to enlightening comment upon them. And there was in her
manner the merest gracious impersonality.

"Do I understand that Mr. Vanderpoel employed someone to visit the place
and direct the work?"

"It was really not difficult to direct. It was merely a matter of
engaging labour and competent foremen."

An odd expression rose in his eyes.

"You suggest a novel idea, upon my word," he said. "Is it possible--you
see I know something of America--is it possible I must thank YOU for the
working of this magic?"

"You need not thank me," she said, rather slowly, because it was
necessary that she also should think of many things at once. "I could
not have helped doing it."

She wished to make all clear to him before he met Rosy. She knew it was
not unnatural that the unexpectedness of his appearance might deprive
Lady Anstruthers of presence of mind. Instinct told her that what was
needed in intercourse with him was, above all things, presence of mind.

"I will tell you about it," she said. "We will walk slowly up and down
here, if you do not object."

He did not object. He wanted to hear the story as he could not hear it
from his nervous little fool of a wi