r eyes wandered constantly to the door. He may come
late. By the way, where is my dearest son?"

"Basil? He went out this morning. I believe he intended to call on
Aunt Selina."

Mrs. Octagon lost a trifle of her suave manner, and became decidedly
more human. "Then I wish he would not call there," she said sharply.
"Selina Loach is my own sister, but I do not approve of her."

"She is a poor, lonely dear, mother."

"Poor, my child, she is not, as I have every reason to believe she is
well endowed with this world's goods. Lonely she may be, but that is
her own fault. Had she behaved as she should have done, Lady Caranby
would have been her proud title. As to dear," Mrs. Octagon shrugged
her fine shoulders, "she is not a woman to win or retain love. Look at
the company she keeps. Mr. Hale, her lawyer, is not a nice man. I
have espied something evil in his eye. That Clancy creature is said to
be rich. He needs to be, if only to compensate for his rough way.
They visit her constantly."

"You have forgotten Mrs. Herne," said Juliet, rising, and beginning to
pace the room restlessly and watch out of the window.

"I have never met Mrs. Herne. And, indeed, you know, that for private
reasons I have never visited Selina at that ridiculous house of hers.
When were you there last, Juliet, my child?"

The girl started and appeared embarrassed. "Oh, a week ago," she said
hurriedly, then added restlessly, "I wonder why Basil does not come
back. He has been away all day."

"Do you know why he has called on your aunt, my dear?"

"No," said Juliet, in a hesitating manner, and turned again to look out
of the window. Then she added, as though to escape further
questioning, "I have seen Mrs. Herne only once, but she seemed to me a
very nice, clever old woman."

"Clever," said Mrs. Octagon, raising her eyebrows, which were as
strongly marked as those of her sister, "no. She does not belong to
The Circle."

"A person can be clever without that," said Juliet impatiently.

"No. All the clever people in London come here, Juliet. If Mrs. Herne
had been brilliant, she would have found her way to our Shrine."

Juliet shrugged her shoulders and curled her pretty lip. She did not
appreciate her privileges in that house. In fact, a word distinctly
resembling "Bother!" escaped from her mouth. However, she went on
talking of Mrs. Herne, as though to keep her mother from questioning
her further.

"There is a mystery