o," said the Canon piteously. "I did my best. I have engaged
a berth on a steamer going to Brazil, one that hasn't got a wireless
telegraphic installation, and I've secured a _locum tenens_ for the
parish. But I shan't be able to go. You can guess why."

"The Archdeacon?"

The Canon nodded sadly. I did not care to make more inquiries about the
Archdeacon.

"Well," I said, "if neither he nor Thormanby is with you, who is?"

"Miss Battersby for one. She volunteered."

I felt relieved. Miss Battersby is never formidable.

"She won't matter," I said. "Lalage and Hilda will put her to bed and
keep her there. That's what they did with her on the way to Lisbon."

"And Miss Pettigrew," said the Canon.

"How on earth does she come to be mixed up in it?"

"Your mother telegraphed to her and begged her to come down with us
to see what she could do. She's supposed to have some influence with
Lalage."

"What sort of woman is she? I don't know her personally. Lalage says
she's the kind of person that you hate and yet can't help rather loving,
although you're afraid of her. Is that your impression of her?"

"She has a strongly developed sense of humour," said the Canon, "and I'm
afraid she's rather determined."

"What do you expect to do?"

"I don't myself expect to do anything," said the Canon.

"I meant to say what is the ostensible object of the expedition?"

"The Archdeacon spoke of our rescuing Lalage from an equivocal position."

"You ought to make that man bishop," I said.

"Miss Battersby kept on assuring us all the way down in the train that
Lalage is a most lovable child, very gentle and tractable if taken the
right way, but high spirited."

"That won't help her much, because she's no nearer now than she was ten
years ago to finding out what is the right way to take Lalage. What are
Miss Petti-grew's views?"

"She varies," said the Canon, "between chuckling over your position and
wishing that Lalage was safely married with some babies to look after.
She says there'll be no peace in Ireland until that happens."

"That's an utterly silly scheme. There's nobody here to marry her except
Vittie, and I'm perfectly certain his aunts wouldn't let him. He has two
aunts. If that is all Miss Pettigrew has to suggest she might as well
have stopped at home."

The Canon sighed.

"I'm afraid I must be going," he said, "I promised Miss Pettigrew that
I'd be back in half an hour. We're going to see Lalage at once."