t gratify her unusual desire.

On reaching town I drove straight to the hotel at which my mother was
staying.

It was one of those highly-priced private hotels in the New Out.

As, however, I had no desire to purchase this place of entertainment,
the exorbitant value set on it by its proprietors did not affect my
spirits.

In a few minutes I had told my mother all save two things: the business
of the baby, and the fate which had overtaken Sir Runan.

With these trifling exceptions she knew all.

To fall into Philippa's arms was, to my still active parent, the work of
a moment.

Then Philippa looked at me with an artless wink.

'Basil, my brother, you are really too good.'

Ah, how happy I should have felt could that one dark night's work have
been undone!

CHAPTER VII.--Rescue And Retire!

HITHERTO I have said little about my mother, and I may even seem to have
regarded that lady in the light of a temporary convenience. My readers
will, however, already have guessed that _my_ mother was no common
character.

Consider for a moment the position which she so readily consented to
occupy.

The trifling details about the sudden decease of Sir Runan and the
affair of the baby, as we have seen, I had thought it better _not_ to
name to her.

Matters, therefore, in her opinion, stood thus:--

Philippa was the victim of a baronet's wiles.

When off with the new love, she had promptly returned and passed a
considerable time under the roof of the old love; that is, of myself.

Then I had suddenly arrived with this eligible prospective
daughter-in-law at my mother's high-priced hotel, and I kept insisting
that we should at once migrate, we three, to foreign parts--the more
foreign the better.

I had especially dilated on the charms of the scenery and the salubrity
of the climate in _countries where there was no extradition treaty with
England_.

Even if there was nothing in these circumstances to arouse the watchful
jealousy of a mother, it must be remembered that, as a _chaperon_, she
did seem to come a little late in the day.

'As you have lived together so long without me,' some parents would have
observed, 'you can do without me altogether.'

None of these trivial objections occurred to my mother.

She was good-nature itself.

Just returned from a professional tour on the Continent (she was, I
should have said, in the profession herself, and admirably filled the
_exigeant_ part of Stout Lady