that lady's self control was never more severely tested or brilliantly
vindicated. One startled glance, and then she was saying, briskly, and
with the old bright smile:

"A telegram for you, Ned."

"Thanks," said he. "By the way, here's the future Mrs. Ned--that's to
say if she doesn't funk it before the wedding."

Lilian's welcome, Lilian's embrace, and Lilian's congratulations were
alike perfect. Cicely wondered how people could ever have said the
critical things of her which some of her acquaintances were unkind
enough to say at times. As to Bisset's dictum regarding the lady in the
castle, that was manifestly absurd on the face of it. Miss Cromarty was
clearly overjoyed to hear of her brother's engagement.

"And now, Neddy dear!" cried the bright lady, "tell me how it all came
about!"

Ned looked up from his telegram with a glint in his eye that was hardly
a lover's glance.

"Cicely will tell you all about it," said he. "I'm afraid I've got to be
off pretty well as quick as I can."

He handed them the wire and they read: "Meet me eight to-night Kings
Arms urgent. Carrington."

"From Mr. Carrington!" exclaimed his sister.

Ned smiled.

"Cicely will explain him too," he said. "By Gad, I wonder if this is
going to be the finishing bit of luck!"

In another twenty minutes the lights of his gig lamps were raking the
night.

XXXVIII

TRAPPED

Cromarty and Carrington slipped unostentatiously out of the hotel a few
minutes after eight o'clock.

"Take any line you like," said Carrington, "but as he knows now that you
brought Miss Farmond back and have heard her version, he'll naturally be
feeling a little uncomfortable about the place where one generally gets
kicked, when he sees you march in. He will expect you to open out on
that subject, so if I were you I'd take the natural line of country and
do what he expects."

"Including the kicking?"

Carrington laughed.

"Keep him waiting for that. Spin it out; that's your job to-night."

"I wish it were more than talking!" said Ned.

"Well," drawled Carrington, "it may lead to something more amusing. Who
knows? You haven't bought your own gun, I suppose? Take mine."

He handed him the same little article he had taken out the night before,
and Ned's eye gleamed.

"What!" said he. "That kind of gun once more? This reminds me of old
times!"

"It's a mere precaution," said the other. "Don't count on using it!
Remember, you're going to visit t