h your eye. I don't want you to
hear what I have got to say."

"I don't in the least way want to hear what you have got to say, dear
mamma," said Dolly.

"That would have made me listen to every word," said Lady Mariamne;
"but girls are more queer nowadays than anything that ever was. Mr.
Tatham"--she put her hand upon his, which was on the carriage door, and
bent her perfumed, powdered face towards him--"for goodness' sake--think
how awkward it would be--a man just succeeding to a title and that sort
of thing put in all the papers about him. Do, do stop it, or try
something to stop it, for goodness' sake!"

"I assure you," said John, "I can do nothing to stop it. I am as
powerless as you are."

"Oh, I don't say that I am powerless," said Lady Mariamne, with her
shrill laugh. "One has one's little ways of influence." Then she put her
hand again upon John with a sudden grip. "Mr. Tatham," she said, "tell
me, in confidence, was that Phil's boy?"

"I have told you, Lady Mariamne, it is a nephew of mine."

"A nephew--oh, I know what kind of a nephew--_a la mode de Bretagne_!"

She turned her head to the other side, where her daughter was gazing
calmly in front of her.

"Dolly! I was sure of it," she cried, "don't you hear? Dolly, don't you
hear?"

"Which, mamma?" said Dolly, gravely; "of course I could not help hearing
it all. Which part was I to notice? about the newspapers or about the
boy?"

Lady Mariamne appealed to earth and heaven with the loud cackle of her
laugh. "He can't deny it," she said; "he as good as owns it. I am
certain that's the boy that will be Lomond."

"Uncle St. Serf is not dead yet," said Dolly, reprovingly.

"Poor Serf!--but he's so very bad," said Lady Mariamne, "that it's
almost the same thing. Mr. Tatham, can't we take you anywhere? I'm so
glad I've seen Nell's boy. Can't we drive you home? Perhaps you've got
Nell there too?"

John stood back from the carriage door, just in time to escape the start
of the horses as the remorseless string was touched and the footman
clambered up into his seat. Lady Mariamne's smile went off her face, and
she had forgotten all about it, to judge from appearances, before he had
got himself in motion again. And a little farther on, behind the next
tree, he found young Philip waiting, full of curiosity and questions.

"Who was that lady, Uncle John? Was she asking about me? I thought I
heard her call. I had half a mind to run back and say 'Here I am.