of shame. That's just the kind of thing which would make Pussy really
ill."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him that it was his plain duty to put the matter before the
Archdeacon and that if he didn't do it I should simply get some one else
and then he'd jolly well feel ashamed of himself and be afraid to look
any one in the face for weeks and weeks. I didn't mention that Pussy
was the future wife, of course. I'm much too fond of her to hurt her
feelings."

I should have liked to hear a description of the expression on Miss
Battersby's face. I should also have liked to hear what my uncle said in
reply to Lalage's remarks, but I felt an anxiety so acute as greatly to
dull my curiosity.

"Had you any one particular in your mind," I asked, "when you said that
you'd get somebody else to go to the Archdeacon?"

"Of course I had," said Lalage. "You."

"I was just afraid you might be thinking of that."

"You'll do it of course."

"No," I said, "I won't. There are reasons which I gave to my uncle this
morning which made it quite impossible for me----"

"You're not thinking of marrying her yourself, are you?"

"Certainly not."

"Then there can't be any real reason----"

"Lalage," I said, "there is. I don't like to mention the subject to you;
but the fact is----"

"If it's anything disagreeable I'd much rather not hear it."

"It is, very; though it's not true."

"You appear to me to be getting into a tangle," said Lalage, "so you'd
better not go on. If you're afraid of the Archdeacon--and I suppose that
is what your excuses will come to in the end--I'll do it myself. After
all, you'd most likely have made a mess of it."

I bore the insult meekly. I was anxious, if possible, to persuade Lalage
to drop the idea of marrying the Archdeacon to Miss Battersby.

"Remember your promise to my mother," I said.

"I've kept it. I submitted the matter to Lord Thormanby just as I said I
would. If he won't act I can't help it."

"The Archdeacon will be frightfully angry."

Lalage sniffed slightly. I could see that the thought of the
Archdeacon's wrath did not frighten her. I should have been surprised if
it had. After facing Thormanby in the morning the Archdeacon would seem
nothing. I adopted another line.

"Are you perfectly certain," I said, "about that text? Don't you think
that if it's really in the Bible the Archdeacon would have seen it?"

"He might have overlooked it," said Lalage; "in fact, he must hav