as fain to seem better informed than his or her
neighbour, a very large allowance of inaccuracy and misapprehension was
added to the usual stock-in-trade of tittle-tattle on both these points.

There was only a short interregnum between the last departures of this
brilliant throng, and the arrival of a quiet half-dozen to dinner; not a
party, only a soothing half-dozen after all that noise and turmoil. So
that Gwen got no chance of a talk with her father, which was what she
felt very much in need of. That interregnum was only just enough to
allow of a few minutes' rest before dressing for dinner. But the quiet
half-dozen came, dined, and went away early; perhaps the earlier that
their hostess's confessions of fatigue amounted to an appeal _ad
misericordiam_; and Gwen was reserved and silent. When the last of the
half-dozen had departed, Gwen got her opportunity. "Don't keep your
father up too long, child," said the Countess, over the stair-rail. "It
makes him sleep in the day, and it's bad for him." And vanished, with a
well-bred yawn-noise, a trochee, the short syllable being the apology
for the long one.

The Earl had allowed the quiet three, who remained with him at the
dinner-table after their three quiet better-halves had retired with his
wife and daughter, to do all the smoking, and had saved up for his own
cigar by himself. It was his way. So Gwen knew she need not hurry
through preliminaries. Of course he wanted to know about the Typhus
patient, and she gave a good report, without stint. "_That's_ all
right," said he, in the tone of rejoicing which implies a double
satisfaction, one for the patient's sake, one for one's own, as it is no
longer a duty to be anxious.

"Why are you glaring at me so, papa darling?" said his daughter. It was
a most placid glare. She should have said "looking."

"Your mamma tells me," said he, without modifying the glare, "that she
has persuaded you to go with her to Vienna for six months."

"She said you wished me to go."

"She wishes you to go herself, and I wish what she wishes." This was not
mere submissiveness. It was just as much loyalty and chivalry. "Is it a
very terrible trial, the Self-denying Ordinance?"

Gwen answered rather stonily. "It isn't pleasant, but if you and my
mother think it necessary--why, what must be, must! I'm ready to go any
time. Only I must go and wind up with Adrian first ... just to console
him a little! It's worse for him than for me! Just fanc