ow d'ye do, Mitchy?--At home? Oh rather!"

III

Very different was Mrs. Brook's welcome of the restored wanderer to
whom, in a brief space, she addressed every expression of surprise and
delight, though marking indeed at last, as a qualification of these
things, her regret that he declined to partake of her tea or to allow
her to make him what she called "snug for a talk" in his customary
corner of her sofa. He pleaded frankly agitation and embarrassment,
reminded her even that he was awfully shy and that after separations,
complications, whatever might at any time happen, he was conscious of
the dust that had settled on intercourse and that he couldn't blow away
in a single breath. She was only, according to her nature, to indulge
him if, while he walked about and changed his place, he came to the
surface but in patches and pieces. There was so much he wanted to know
that--well, as they had arrived only the night before, she could judge.
There was knowledge, it became clear, that Mrs. Brook almost equally
craved, so that it even looked at first as if, on either side,
confidence might be choked by curiosity. This disaster was finally
barred by the fact that the spirit of enquiry found for Mitchy material
that was comparatively plastic. That was after all apparent enough when
at the end of a few vain passes he brought out sociably: "Well, has he
done it?"

Still indeed there was something in Mrs. Brook's face that seemed to
reply "Oh come--don't rush it, you know!" and something in the movement
with which she turned away that described the state of their question
as by no means so simple as that. On his refusal of tea she had rung for
the removal of the table, and the bell was at this moment answered by
the two men. Little ensued then, for some minutes, while the servants
were present; she spoke only as the butler was about to close the door.
"If Mr. Longdon presently comes show him into Mr. Brookenham's room if
Mr. Brookenham isn't there. If he is show him into the dining-room and
in either case let me immediately know."

The man waited expressionless. "And in case of his asking for Miss
Brookenham--?"

"He won't!" she replied with a sharpness before which her interlocutor
retired. "He will!" she then added in quite another tone to Mitchy.
"That is, you know, he perfectly MAY. But oh the subtlety of servants!"
she sighed.

Mitchy was now all there. "Mr. Longdon's in town then?"

"For the first time since yo