ropped; after which Vanderbank turned straight to the person announced.

Mr. Mitchett was there, and, anticipating Mrs. Brook in receiving him,
her companion passed it straighten. "She's magnificent!"

Mitchy was already all interest. "Rather! But what's her last?"

It had been, though so great, so subtle, as they said in Buckingham
Crescent, that Vanderbank scarce knew how to put it. "Well, she's so
thoroughly superior."

"Oh to whom do you say it?" Mitchy cried as he greeted her.

II

The subject of this eulogy had meanwhile returned to her sofa, where she
received the homage of her new visitor. "It's not I who am magnificent
a bit--it's dear Mr. Longdon. I've just had from Van the most wonderful
piece of news about him--his announcement of his wish to make it worth
somebody's while to marry my child."

"'Make it'?"--Mitchy stared. "But ISN'T it?"

"My dear friend, you must ask Van. Of course you've always thought
so. But I must tell you all the same," Mrs. Brook went on, "that I'm
delighted."

Mitchy had seated himself, but Vanderbank remained erect and became
perhaps even slightly stiff. He was not angry--no member of the inner
circle at Buckingham Crescent was ever angry--but he looked grave
and rather troubled. "Even if it IS decidedly fine"--he addressed his
hostess straight--"I can't make out quite why you're doing THIS--I mean
immediately making it known."

"Ah but what do we keep from Mitchy?" Mrs. Brook asked.

"What CAN you keep? It comes to the same thing," Mitchy said. "Besides,
here we are together, share and share alike--one beautiful intelligence.
Mr. Longdon's 'somebody' is of course Van. Don't try to treat me as an
outsider."

Vanderbank looked a little foolishly, though it was but the shade of a
shade, from one of them to the other. "I think I've been rather an ass!"

"What then by the terms of our friendship--just as Mitchy says--can he
and I have a better right to know and to feel with you about? You'll
want, Mitchy, won't you?" Mrs. Brook went on, "to hear all about THAT?"

"Oh I only mean," Vanderbank explained, "in having just now blurted my
tale out to you. However, I of course do know," he pursued to Mitchy,
"that whatever's really between us will remain between us. Let me then
tell you myself exactly what's the matter." The length of his pause
after these words showed at last that he had stopped short; on which his
companions, as they waited, exchanged a sympathetic look.