Pole, and who was said to
be organising another.

When the ringing of a chime of bells from a Buddhist's temple announced
luncheon, and everyone had settled down in the great oak room, where
certain of the ancestral Langleys, gentlemen and ladies of the last
century, whom Reynolds and Gainsborough and Romney and Raeburn had
painted, had been brought up from Queen's Langley at Helena's special
wish, the company seemed to be under special survey. There was one
vice-admiral of the Red who was leaning on a Doric pillar, with a
spy-glass in his hand, apparently wholly indifferent to a terrific naval
battle that was raging in the background; all his shadowy attention
seemed to be devoted to the mortals who moved and laughed below him.
There was something in the vice-admiral which resembled Sir Rupert, but
none of the lovely ladies on the wall were as beautiful as Helena.

Mrs. Selwyn spoke with that clear, bell-like voice which always
enraptured an audience. Every assemblage of human beings was to her an
audience, and she addressed them accordingly. Now, she practically took
the stage, leaning forward between the Duke of Deptford and Hiram
Borringer, and addressing Helena Langley.

'My dear Miss Langley,' she said, 'do you know that something has
surprised me to-day?'

'What is it?' Helena asked, turning away from Mr. Selwyn, to whom she
had been talking.

'Why, I felt sure,' Mrs. Selwyn went on, 'to meet someone here to-day. I
am quite disappointed--quite.'

Everyone looked at Mrs. Selwyn with interest. She had the stage all to
herself, and was enjoying the fact exceedingly. Helena gazed at her with
a note of interrogation in each of her bright eyes, and another in each
corner of her sensitive mouth.

'I made perfectly sure that I should meet him here to-day. I said to
Harry first thing this morning, when I saw the name in the paper,
"Harry," I said, "we shall be sure to meet him at Sir Rupert's this
afternoon." Now did I not, Harry?'

Mr. Selwyn, thus appealed to, admitted that his wife had certainly made
the remark she now quoted.

Mrs. Selwyn beamed gratitude and affection for his endorsement. Then she
turned to Miss Langley again.

'Why isn't _he_ here, my dear Miss Langley, why?' Then she added, 'You
know you always have everybody before anybody else, don't you?'

Helena shook her head.

'I suppose it's very stupid of me,' she said, 'but, really, I'm afraid I
don't know who your "he" is. Is your "he" a