strictly temperate----"

"I didn't send for you," said Thormanby, "to stand there talking like a
born fool. What I want you to do----"

He paused and blew his nose with some violence.

"Yes?" I said.

"Is to go and put a muzzle on that girl of Beresford's."

"If you're offering me a choice," I said, "I'd a great deal rather drag
Miss Battersby over to the Archdeacon's house and dump her down there in
a wedding ring with a white satin dress tied round her neck by a ribbon.
I might manage that, but I'm constitutionally unfitted to deal with
Lalage. It was you who said you would put her in her place. I told the
Archdeacon he could count on you."

"I'll see Beresford to-day, anyhow."

"Not the least use. He's going to one of the South American republics
where there's no extradition."

"I'll speak to your mother about it."

"As a matter of fact," I said, "Lalage is acting strictly in accordance
with my mother's instructions in referring this matter to you. Why not
try Miss Pettigrew?"

"I will. Who is she?"

"She used to be Lalage's schoolmistress."

"Does she use the cane?"

"This," I said, "is entirely your affair. I've washed my hands of it
so I'm not even offering advice, but if I were you I'd be careful about
anything in the way of physical violence. Remember that Lalage has
Selby-Harrison behind her and he knows the law. You can see for yourself
by the way he ferreted out that text of First Timothy that he has the
brain of a first-rate solicitor."

I left the room after that. In the hall Miss Battersby waylaid me again.

"Is it all right?" she asked anxiously.

"Not quite. My uncle is writing to Miss Pettigrew."

"She won't come. I'm sure she won't. She told me herself when we were in
Ballygore that for the future she intends to watch Lalage's performances
from a distance."

"She may make an exception in this case," I said. "If my uncle states
it at all fully in his letter it can scarcely fail to make an appeal to
her."

Miss Battersby sighed. She was evidently not hopeful.

"Lalage is such a dear girl," she said. "It is a sad pity that she
will----"

"She's always trying to do right."

"Always," said Miss Battersby fervently.

"That's why it's generally so difficult for other people."

"The world," said Miss Battersby, "is very hard."

"And desperately wicked. If it were even moderately straightforward and
honest Lalage would have been canonized long ago."

"She's a little foolish s