t throughout the
ballroom. The royal guest was retiring, and soon the rest began to melt
away. The Anstruthers, who had a long return drive before them, were
among those who went first.

When Lady Anstruthers and her sister returned from the cloak room, they
found Sir Nigel standing near Mount Dunstan, who was going also, and
talking to him in an amiably detached manner. Mount Dunstan, himself,
did not look amiable, or seem to be saying much, but Sir Nigel showed no
signs of being disturbed.

"Now that you have ceased to forswear the world," he said as his wife
approached, "I hope we shall see you at Stornham. Your visits must not
cease because we cannot offer you G. Selden any longer."

He had his own reasons for giving the invitation--several of them. And
there was a satisfaction in letting the fellow know, casually, that he
was not in the ridiculous position of being unaware of what had
occurred during his absence--that there had been visits--and also the
objectionable episode of the American bounder. That the episode had been
objectionable, he knew he had adroitly conveyed by mere tone and manner.

Mount Dunstan thanked him in the usual formula, and then spoke to Betty.

"G. Selden left us tremulous and fevered with ecstatic anticipation. He
carried your kind letter to Mr. Vanderpoel, next to his heart. His brain
seemed to whirl at the thought of what 'the boys' would say, when he
arrived with it in New York. You have materialised the dream of his
life!"

"I have interested my father," Betty answered, with a brilliant smile.
"He liked the romance of the Reuben S. Vanderpoel who rewarded the saver
of his life by unbounded orders for the Delkoff."

. . . . .

As their carriage drove away, Sir Nigel bent forward to look out of the
window, and having done it, laughed a little.

"Mount Dunstan does not play the game well," he remarked.

It was annoying that neither Betty nor his wife inquired what the
game in question might be, and that his temperament forced him into
explaining without encouragement.

"He should have 'stood motionless with folded arms,' or something of the
sort, and 'watched her equipage until it was out of sight.'"

"And he did not?" said Betty

"He turned on his heel as soon as the door was shut."

"People ought not to do such things," was her simple comment. To which
it seemed useless to reply.

CHAPTER XXXIII

FOR LADY JANE

There is no one thing on earth of such interest a