fraid," Dyce continued, "this change won't be quite pleasant to
you?"

"To me? It makes no difference--none whatever. Will you please sit
down? I dislike to talk with anyone who keeps fidgeting about."

One might have detected more than discomfort in Miss Bride's look and
voice. A sudden flash of something very like anger shone in her eyes;
but they were bent and veiled.

"Let us talk about Hollingford," said Lashmar, drawing up a chair. "It
begins to look as if things were really in train. Of course, I shall go
down to talk to them. Will you help me in putting my programme
together?"

"Isn't that already done?"

"Why, no. What do I care about their party questions? I'm sure your
advice would be valuable. Could you find time to jot down a few ideas?"

"If you think it any use, certainly. I can't promise to do it this
evening; we have people to dine."

Lashmar was secretly offended that Lady Ogram should give a
dinner-party in which he had no place.

"Anyone coming that I know?" he asked, off-hand.

"Let me see. Yes, there's Mrs. Toplady--and Lord Dymchurch--"

Dyce exclaimed:

"What an extraordinary thing! Dymchurch, who never went anywhere, seems
all at once to be living in the thick of the world. The other day, I
found him at Mrs. Toplady's, drinking tea. Was it there he came to know
Lady Ogram?"

"Yes." Constance smiled. "Lady Ogram, you remember, much wished to meet
him."

"And he dines here? I can't understand it."

"You are not very complimentary;" said Constance, with dry amusement.

"You know what I mean. I shouldn't have thought Lady Ogram would have
had much attraction for him."

Miss Bride laughed, a laugh of all but genuine gaiety.

"Hadn't we better talk about your programme?" she resumed, in an
altered voice, as though her humour had suddenly improved; "I should
take counsel with Mr. Breakspeare, if I were you. I fancy he likes to
be consulted, and his activity will be none the less for it."

Lashmar could not easily fix his thoughts on political tactics. He
talked impatiently, all the time absorbed in another subject; and at
the first pause he took his leave.

Decidedly it offended him that he was left out from this evening's
dinner-party. A suspicion, too, had broken upon his mind which he found
very distasteful and perturbing. Lady Ogram must have particular
reasons for thus cultivating Lord Dymchurch's acquaintance;
conjecturing what they might be, he perceived how he had allow