ch as I deserve."

"Of course you don't have to take guinea-pigs about with you?"

"Not as a rule."

"I always do. There's great-Granny!"

There certainly was Lady Casterley, standing a little back from the
drive, and directing a tall gardener how to deal with an old oak-tree.
Courtier alighted, and went towards her to say good-bye. She greeted him
with a certain grim cordiality.

"So you are going! I am glad of that, though you quite understand that I
like you personally."

"Quite!"

Her eyes gleamed maliciously.

"Men who laugh like you are dangerous, as I've told you before!"

Then, with great gravity; she added

"My granddaughter will marry Lord Harbinger. I mention that, Mr.
Courtier, for your peace of mind. You are a man of honour; it will go no
further."

Courtier, bowing over her hand, answered:

"He will be lucky."

The little old lady regarded him unflinchingly.

"He will, sir. Good-bye!"

Courtier smilingly raised his hat. His cheeks were burning. Regaining
the car, he looked round. Lady Casterley was busy once more exhorting
the tall gardener. The voice of little Ann broke in on his thoughts:

"I hope you'll come again. Because I expect I shall be here at
Christmas; and my brothers will be here then, that is, Jock and Tiddy,
not Christopher because he's young. I must go now. Good-bye! Hallo,
Susie!"

Courtier saw her slide away, and join the little pale adoring figure of
the lodge-keeper's daughter.

The car passed out into the lane.

If Lady Casterley had planned this disclosure, which indeed she had not,
for the impulse had only come over her at the sound of Courtier's laugh,
she could not have, devised one more effectual, for there was deep
down in him all a wanderer's very real distrust, amounting almost
to contempt, of people so settled and done for; as aristocrats or
bourgeois, and all a man of action's horror of what he called puking
and muling. The pursuit of Barbara with any other object but that of
marriage had naturally not occurred to one who had little sense of
conventional morality, but much self-respect; and a secret endeavour
to cut out Harbinger, ending in a marriage whereat he would figure as
a sort of pirate, was quite as little to the taste of a man not
unaccustomed to think himself as good as other people.

He caused the car to deviate up the lane that led to Audrey Noel's,
hating to go away without a hail of cheer to that ship in distress.

She came out to h