mood to appreciate
the humour of a jest so grimly personal. She was afraid he was going to
be ill. On all accounts it would be wiser to postpone telling him till
they were alone.

As it happened, it was not to Leslie that she was destined to first moot
the subject of Louise's treacherous confidence. When the gentlemen
joined the ladies in the drawing-room after dinner the human pack
chanced to get so shuffled that Violet found herself for the moment
paired off with Travers Nugent, and unable to obtain speech with her
lover. It was not for her to know that Nugent had carefully arranged his
entry into the drawing-room with a view to securing a _tete-a-tete_ with
her. Eagerly awaiting Leslie's appearance, she had seated herself alone
near the door, and Nugent, coming in ahead of the rest of the men, at
once monopolized her.

"The Queen of the Manor is looking radiant," he said in his silky
accents, assuming the air of deference which carried him far with most
of his female acquaintances.

"I am not feeling very radiant, or even good-tempered--with you,"
replied Violet. Baulked of her wish to have it out with Leslie, she was
seized with a desire to rend in pieces, figuratively, of course, this
debonair gentleman who had busied himself to shield one who by no
possible chain of circumstances could need any shielding.

"Is it permitted to inquire, fair lady, what has caused me to fall under
the ban of your displeasure?" said Nugent smilingly. The smile was well
managed, seeing that he was at the same time assuring himself that
Leslie and Mr. Mallory, convoyed by their host, had passed on with the
other men to where Aunt Sarah was holding a miniature court at the far
end of the room. The smile deepened a little as he noticed that Mr.
Mallory palpably overcame an impulse to join them.

"Yes," said Violet in answer to his question. "If you had not inquired I
should have mentioned the matter myself. What is the meaning of this
preposterous story brought to me by my maid--that you prevented her from
going to the police about Mr. Chermside's appointment with that poor
man?"

The start which Nugent gave, if not natural, at any rate looked the
genuine thing. He bit his lips as though annoyed and disconcerted, and
an anxious expression crept into his eyes.

"So that stupid French girl has been frightening you," he said softly.
"My dear Miss Maynard, I would not have had this happen for worlds."

"That is not an answer to my