ejected attitude Sybil found him a few minutes later. As he had
obviously not observed her entrance, she went to his side, resting a
hand on his shoulder.

"My dearest Jimmy," she explained, "whatever is the matter?"

Rising from his chair, he walked to the mantelshelf, took a cigarette
from a box and lighted it.

"I may as well get it off my chest," he said. "I went to ask Bridget
to marry me."

"Oh--Jimmy!" was the reproachful answer.

"You needn't bother yourself," he explained. "She took the wind out of
my sails by the announcement that she was affianced to old Faversham
before I saw her face."

"To Colonel Faversham!" cried Sybil. "Poor Carrissima!"

Sybil, it is true, had too much experience to be actually astonished at
such enormity, but nevertheless she was deeply shocked. Why, Miss
Rosser was engaged to be married to the colonel at the time when she
had been seen in Mark Driver's arms.

"Understand," said Jimmy, "Carrissima is not to be told. No one knows
but the two concerned and myself. I was never so sorely tempted in my
life."

"Tempted!" exclaimed Sybil.

"To play the part of Young Lochinvar, you know. She would have gone
with me!" he added excitedly. "She would have gone with me!"

"My dear," returned his sister, "you could surely never dream of acting
so dishonourably. Such an old friend as Colonel Faversham, too!"

"Oh yes, I dreamed of it," said Jimmy. "You know they say we're all no
better than we should be in our dreams. My difficulty was that I woke
too soon!"

CHAPTER XX

IN SIGHT OF PORT

"Good-morning, Carrissima!" said Colonel Faversham on Thursday morning,
rubbing his palms briskly together as he entered the dining-room. "It
looks as if there's going to be a change in the weather. A little rain
will do good."

"Will it?" answered Carrissima, perfunctorily.

"What's the matter?" he demanded. "You're not eating anything. Always
have a good breakfast. Lay a foundation for the day. Look at me!
When my appetite fails, I shall begin to think it's time I gave in."

He made an enormous breakfast, and when at last it ended, took out his
cigar-case. Having lighted a cigar, he carried the newspaper to his
smoking-room and sat down, only to get up again the next minute. He
did not care a scrap about the news! The Socialists might upset the
constitution for all Colonel Faversham minded this morning! His
thoughts already outran him to Golfney Place, where h