t of a girl thoroughly obsessed him;
and it is possible that even after their meetings in Kensington Gardens
her image might gradually have faded from his mind, had it not occurred
to Mrs. Trent to interfere.

He had seen a good deal of the Trents while hunting with the Pytchley
two winters ago. Lotty was a fearless rider and what men called "a real
good sort." At one time it had sometimes crossed Captain Middleton's
mind that Lotty wouldn't make half a bad wife for a Horse Gunner, but
somehow it had always stopped at the idea, and when he didn't see Lotty
he never thought about her at all.

Now that he no longer saw Meg he thought about her all day and far into
the night. His sensations were so new, so disturbing and unpleasant, his
life was so disorganised and upset, that he asked himself in varying
degrees of ever-accumulating irritation: "What the deuce was the
matter?"

Then Mrs. Trent asked him to luncheon.

She was staying with her daughters at the Kensington Palace Hotel, and
they had a suite of rooms. Lotty and her sister flew away before coffee
was served, as they were going to a _matinee_, and Miles was left
_tete-a-tete_ with Mrs. Trent.

She was most motherly and kind.

Just as he was wondering whether he might now decently take leave of
her, she said: "Captain Middleton, I'm going to take a great liberty and
venture to say something to you that perhaps you will resent ... but I
feel I must do it because your mother was such a dear friend of mine."

This was a piece of information for Miles, who knew perfectly well that
Lady Agnes Middleton's acquaintance with Mrs. Trent had been of the
slightest. However, he bowed and looked expectant.

"I saw you the other day walking with Miss Morton in Kensington Gardens;
apparently she is now in charge of somebody's children. May I ask if you
have known her long?"

Mrs. Trent looked searchingly at Miles, and there was an inflection on
the "long" that he felt was in some way insulting to Meg, and he
stiffened all over.

"Before I answer that question, Mrs. Trent, may I ask why you should
want to know?"

"My dear boy, I see perfectly well that it must seem impertinent
curiosity on my part. But I assure you my motive for asking is quite
justifiable. Will you try not to feel irritated and believe that what I
am doing, I am doing for the best?"

"I have not known Miss Morton very long; why?"

"Do you know the people she is living with at present?"

Again