too, of course--because she could not possibly help herself--could
she?--if he is being lovely to her."

"I have not your prejudiced eyes for him--though Hector certainly is a
decent fellow enough to look at," allowed Colonel Lowerby. "But all
this does not get to what you want to do for them."

"I want them to be happy."

"Permanently, or for the moment?"

"Both."

"An impossible combination, with these abominably inconsiderate marriage
laws we suffer under in this country, my child."

"Then what ought I to do?"

"You can do nothing but accelerate or hinder matters for a little. If
Hector is really in love, and the woman, too, they are bound to dree
their weird, one way or the other, themselves. You will be doing the
greatest kindness if you can keep them apart, and avoid a scandal if
possible."

"My dear Crow, I have never heard of your being so thoroughly
unsympathetic before."

"And I have never heard of Hector being really in love before, and with
an angel, too--deuced dangerous folk at the best of times!"

"Then there are mother and Morella Winmarleigh to be counted with."

"Neither of them can see beyond their noses. Miss Winmarleigh is sure of
him, she thinks--and your mother, too."

"No; mother has her doubts."

"They will both be anti?"

"Extremely anti."

"To get back to facts, then, your plan is to assist your brother to see
this 'angel,' and smooth the path to the final catastrophe."

"You worry me, Crow. Why should there be a catastrophe?"

"Is she a young woman?"

"A mere baby. Certainly not more than twenty or so."

"Then it is inevitable, if the husband don't count. You have not
described him yet."

"Because I have never seen him," said Lady Anningford. "Hector did say
last night, though, that he was an impossible Australian millionaire."

"These people have a strong sense of personal rights--they are even
blood-thirsty sometimes, and expect virtue in their women. If he had
been just an English snob, the social bauble might have proved an
immense eye-duster; but when you say Australian it gives me hope. He'll
take her away, or break Hector's head, before things become too
embarrassing."

"Crow, you are brutal."

"And a good thing, too. That is what we all want, a little more
brutality. The whole of the blessed show here is being ruined with this
sickly sentimentality. Flogging done away with; every silly nerve
pandered to. By Jove! the next time we have to fight any coun