Any man who knows anything about women gets into the way
of judging them very largely by the expression of their eyes. You find
after a little practice that you are able to tell with almost absolute
certainty what their intentions are; and there was no mistake about
Miss King's this afternoon."

"I'm glad," said the Major, "that you went away at once."

"I didn't," said Meldon. "It was she who went away. I hurt her
feelings by telling her plainly that I was a married man. She flew
into a temper and pranced off."

"She must be a very--"

"No, she's not--not in the least. It was simply a case of what Virgil
calls 'spretae injuria formae.'"

"Talk English," said Major Kent. "You know I don't understand Latin."

"Never mind," said Meldon; "you wouldn't understand it a bit better if
I put it into English. You haven't the necessary experience. And in
any case it doesn't in the least matter. The important thing for you
to get a hold of is that the marriage is arranged, and unless something
quite unforeseen turns up it will come off. I told Simpkins that she
had a large fortune and was the niece of an earl. Those facts, in
addition to her personal charm, will, I imagine, bring him rapidly up
to the scratch. I can do no more for the present. That's why I said I
was like the blacksmith and had earned my night's repose."

"It's early yet," said the Major. "I seldom turn in before eleven.
But, of course, you can go off at once if you like."

"When I quoted that line about the night's repose," said Meldon, "I was
speaking figuratively. I haven't the least intention of going to bed
at this hour. I don't suppose the original blacksmith did either, even
if he was feeling a bit upset about the choir. What I really meant was
that I am quite entitled now to have a couple of days off in the
_Spindrift_."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," said the Major. "I was afraid you
were going to spend your whole holiday running backwards and forwards
between this and Ballymoy."

"I can't take a regular cruise," said Meldon. "I absolutely must be
back here the day after to-morrow. No matter how carefully you arrange
things, there's always a risk of something going wrong. Quite a
trifling accident might upset the entire plan, and I ought to be on the
spot to straighten things out directly they begin to get into a tangle."

Major Kent made no answer. He sat smoking until his pipe went out.
Then for a while he sat with