ght-forming stare, she went on earnestly:

"Rather than that I'd make sacrifices. I'd sooner Pendridny were let
than throw all those people out of work. I suppose it would let."

"Let? Best woodcock shooting in the world."

Lady Valleys, pursuing her thoughts, went on:

"In time we might get the people drafted into other things. Have you
consulted Miltoun?"

"No," said Lord Valleys shortly, "and don't mean to--he's too
unpractical."

"He always seems to know what he wants very well."

"I tell you," repeated Lord Valleys, "Miltoun's no good in a matter of
this sort--he and his ideas throw back to the Middle Ages."

Lady Valleys went closer, and took him by the lapels of his collar.

"Geoff-really, to please me; some other way!"

Lord Valleys frowned, staring at her for some time; and at last
answered:

"To please you--I'll leave it over another year."

"You think that's better than letting?"

"I don't like the thought of some outsider there. Time enough to come to
that if we must. Take it as my Christmas present."

Lady Valleys, rather flushed, bent forward and kissed his ear.

It was at this moment that little Ann had entered.

When she was gone, and they had exchanged that dubious look, Lady
Valleys said:

"I came about Babs. I don't know what to make of her since we came up.
She's not putting her heart into things."

Lord Valleys answered almost sulkily:

"It's the heat probably--or Claud Harbinger." In spite of his easy-going
parentalism, he disliked the thought of losing the child whom he so
affectionately admired.

"Ah!" said Lady Valleys slowly, "I'm not so sure."

"How do you mean?"

"There's something queer about her. I'm by no means certain she hasn't
got some sort of feeling for that Mr. Courtier."

"What!" said Lord Valleys, growing most unphilosophically red.

"Exactly!"

"Confound it, Gertrude, Miltoun's business was quite enough for one
year."

"For twenty," murmured Lady Valleys. "I'm watching her. He's going to
Persia, they say."

"And leaving his bones there, I hope," muttered Lord Valleys. "Really,
it's too much. I should think you're all wrong, though."

Lady Valleys raised her eyebrows. Men were very queer about such things!
Very queer and worse than helpless!

"Well," she said, "I must go to my meeting. I'll take her, and see if I
can get at something," and she went away.

It was the inaugural meeting of the Society for the Promotion of the
Birth Rate, over wh