that you should have come," said Henrietta, looking
at her as if she thought Isabel might be prepared to challenge the
proposition. "If you hadn't--if you hadn't; well, I don't know,"
remarked Miss Stackpole, hinting ominously at her powers of disapproval.

Isabel looked about without seeing her maid. Her eyes rested on another
figure, however, which she felt she had seen before; and in a moment
she recognised the genial countenance of Mr. Bantling. He stood a little
apart, and it was not in the power of the multitude that pressed about
him to make him yield an inch of the ground he had taken--that of
abstracting himself discreetly while the two ladies performed their
embraces.

"There's Mr. Bantling," said Isabel, gently, irrelevantly, scarcely
caring much now whether she should find her maid or not.

"Oh yes, he goes everywhere with me. Come here, Mr. Bantling!" Henrietta
exclaimed. Whereupon the gallant bachelor advanced with a smile--a smile
tempered, however, by the gravity of the occasion. "Isn't it lovely she
has come?" Henrietta asked. "He knows all about it," she added; "we had
quite a discussion. He said you wouldn't, I said you would."

"I thought you always agreed," Isabel smiled in return. She felt she
could smile now; she had seen in an instant, in Mr. Bantling's brave
eyes, that he had good news for her. They seemed to say he wished her to
remember he was an old friend of her cousin--that he understood, that
it was all right. Isabel gave him her hand; she thought of him,
extravagantly, as a beautiful blameless knight.

"Oh, I always agree," said Mr. Bantling. "But she doesn't, you know."

"Didn't I tell you that a maid was a nuisance?" Henrietta enquired.
"Your young lady has probably remained at Calais."

"I don't care," said Isabel, looking at Mr. Bantling, whom she had never
found so interesting.

"Stay with her while I go and see," Henrietta commanded, leaving the two
for a moment together.

They stood there at first in silence, and then Mr. Bantling asked Isabel
how it had been on the Channel.

"Very fine. No, I believe it was very rough," she said, to her
companion's obvious surprise. After which she added: "You've been to
Gardencourt, I know."

"Now how do you know that?"

"I can't tell you--except that you look like a person who has been to
Gardencourt."

"Do you think I look awfully sad? It's awfully sad there, you know."

"I don't believe you ever look awfully sad. You look awf