ndoors this lovely weather?" he said. "Suppose we take a turn
in the garden?"

Blanche pressed Anne's hand significantly. The proposal was evidently
made for a purpose. They turned the corner of the cottage and gained the
large garden at the back--the two ladies walking together, arm in arm;
Sir Patrick and Geoffrey following them. Little by little, Blanche
quickened her pace. "I have got my instructions," she whispered to Anne.
"Let's get out of his hearing."

It was more easily said than done. Geoffrey kept close behind them.

"Consider my lameness, Mr. Delamayn," said Sir Patrick. "Not quite so
fast."

It was well intended. But Geoffrey's cunning had taken the alarm.
Instead of dropping behind with Sir Patrick, he called to his wife.

"Consider Sir Patrick's lameness," he repeated. "Not quite so fast."

Sir Patrick met that check with characteristic readiness. When
Anne slackened her pace, he addressed himself to Geoffrey, stopping
deliberately in the middle of the path. "Let me give you my message from
Holchester House," he said. The two ladies were still slowly walking on.
Geoffrey was placed between the alternatives of staying with Sir Patrick
and leaving them by themselves--or of following them and leaving Sir
Patrick. Deliberately, on his side, he followed the ladies.

Sir Patrick called him back. "I told you I wished to speak to you," he
said, sharply.

Driven to bay, Geoffrey openly revealed his resolution to give Blanche
no opportunity of speaking in private to Anne. He called to Anne to
stop.

"I have no secrets from my wife," he said. "And I expect my wife to have
no secrets from me. Give me the message in her hearing."

Sir Patrick's eyes brightened with indignation. He controlled himself,
and looked for an instant significantly at his niece before he spoke to
Geoffrey.

"As you please," he said. "Your brother requests me to tell you that
the duties of the new position in which he is placed occupy the whole
of his time, and will prevent him from returning to Fulham, as he had
proposed, for some days to come. Lady Holchester, hearing that I was
likely to see you, has charged me with another message, from herself.
She is not well enough to leave home; and she wishes to see you at
Holchester House to-morrow--accompanied (as she specially desires) by
Mrs. Delamayn."

In giving the two messages, he gradually raised his voice to a louder
tone than usual. While he was speaking, Blanche (warned to f