nly this afternoon. And, moreover, she is probably quite well
informed about you and your intentions. She gossiped half through lunch
with that ill-bred fellow Birch. I heard your name once or twice.
Oh!--and by-the-way!"--Sir James turned sharply on his heel--"what was
she confabulating about with Miss Drake all that time in the garden? Did
they know each other before?"

Marsham replied in the negative. But he, too, was disagreeably arrested
by the recollection of the two girls walking together, and of the
intimacy and animation of their talk. And he could recall what Sir James
had not seen--the strangeness of Alicia's manner, and the peremptoriness
with which she had endeavored to carry him home with her. Had she--after
hearing the story--tried to interrupt or postpone the crucial scene with
Diana? That seemed to him the probable explanation, and the idea roused
in him a hot and impotent anger. What business was it of hers?

"H'm!" said Sir James. "You may be sure that Miss Drake is now in the
secret. She was very discreet on the way home. But she will take sides;
and not, I think, with us. She seems to have a good deal of influence
with your mother."

Marsham reluctantly admitted it.

"My sister, too, will be hostile. Don't let's forget that."

Sir James shrugged his shoulders, with the smile of one who is
determined to keep his spirits up.

"Well, my dear Marsham, you have your battle cut out for you! Don't
delay it. Where is Lady Lucy?"

"In town."

"Can't you devise some excuse that will take you back to her early
to-morrow morning?"

Marsham thought over it. Easy enough, if only the engagement were
announced! But both agreed that silence was imperative. Whatever chance
there might be with Lady Lucy would be entirely destroyed were the
matter made public before her son had consulted her.

"Everybody here is on the tiptoe of expectation," said Sir James. "But
that you know; you must face it somehow. Invent a letter from
Ferrier--some party _contretemps_--anything!--I'll help you through. And
if you see your mother in the morning, I will turn up in the afternoon."

The two men paused. They were standing together--in conference; but each
was conscious of a background of hurrying thoughts that had so far been
hardly expressed at all.

Marsham suddenly broke out:

"Sir James!--I know you thought there were excuses--almost
justification--for what that poor creature did. I was a boy of fifteen
at the tim