d old gim-cracks,
as he always does the minute my eyes are off him." Gwen made no comment
upon inconsistencies, becoming reabsorbed in her letter. But surely a
Countess whose eyes prevent an Earl getting wrapped up in fiddles is not
absolutely without influence over him.

Gwen's absorbing letter was from Irene, incorporating dictation from
Adrian. The writer had found the accepted Official form:--"I am to say,"
convenient in practice. Thus, for instance, "I am to say that he is not
counting the hours till your return, as it seems to him that the total,
when reached, will be of no use to him or anyone else. He prefers to
accept our estimate of the interval as authentic, and to deduct each
hour as it passes. He is at eighty-six now, and expects to be at
sixty-two at this time to-morrow, assuming that he can trust the clock
while he's asleep." Gwen inferred that the amanuensis had protested, to
go on to a more interesting point, as the letter continued:--"Adrian and
I have been talking over what do you think, Gwen dear? Try and guess
before you turn over this page I'm just at the end of...." Dots ended
the page, and the next began:--"Give it up? Well--only, if I tell you,
you must throw this letter in the fire when you have read it--I'm more
than half convinced that there was once a _tendresse_, to put it mildly,
between our respective papa and mamma--that is, our respective papa and
your respective mamma--not the other way, that's ridiculous! And Adrian
is coming to my way of thinking, after what happened yesterday. It was
at dessert, and papa was quite loquacious, for him--in his best form,
saying:--'Niggers, niggers, niggers! What does that blessed Duchess of
Sutherland want to liberate niggers for? Much better wollop 'em!' The
Duchess was, he said, an hysterical female. Mamma was unmoved and
superior. Perhaps papa would call Lady Ancester hysterical, too. _She_
was at Stafford House, and was _most enthusiastic_. She had promised to
drive over as soon as she came back, to talk about Negro slavery, and
see if something could not be done in the neighbourhood. Mamma hoped she
would interest the Torpeys and the Rector and the Bishop. Only the point
was that the moment _our_ mamma mentioned _yours_, papa shut up with a
snap, and never said another word. It struck me exactly as it struck
Adrian. And when we came to talk it over we agreed that, if it were, it
would account for our having been such strangers till last year."