the fearful injury that we have--however
unintentionally--inflicted on your son, that we are really tied hand and
foot. But you can at least place the case before Adrian as I have placed
it before you, and I appeal to you to do so. I am sure you will see that
it is impossible for my husband or myself to say the same thing to him."

"But to what end? What do you suppose will come of it? What ... a ...
what difference will it make?"

"It _will_ make a difference. It _must_ make a difference, if your son
is made fully aware--he is not, now--of the motives that may be
influencing Gwen." The Countess was not at all confident of her case, in
respect of any definite change it would produce in the bearing of Adrian
towards his _fiancee_, and still less of any effect such change would
produce upon that headstrong young lady, if once she suspected its
cause. But she had confidence in her memories of the rather stupid
middle-aged gentleman of whom, as a young dragoon, she had had such very
intimate experience. He was still sensitively honourable, as in those
old days--she was sure of that. Unless, indeed, he had changed very much
morally, as he had certainly done physically. He would shrink from the
idea of his son profiting by an heroic self-devotion of the daughter of
a man who was no more to blame for his son's mishap than he himself
would have been in the counter-case he had supposed. And he would
impress her view of the position on his son. It would have no visible
and immediate result now, but how about the six months at Vienna? Might
it not be utilised to undermine that position during those six months of
fascinating change? She pictured to herself an abatement of what her
mind thought of as "the heroics" in the first six weeks.

At least, she could see, at this moment, that she had gained her
immediate end. The uneasiness of the Baronet was visible in all that can
show uneasiness in a not very expressive exterior--restlessness of hand
and lips, and the fixed brow of perplexity. "Very good--very good!" he
was saying, "I will talk to my wife about it. You may depend on me to do
what I can. Only--if you are mistaken...."

"About Gwen? If I am, things must take their own course. But I think it
will turn out that I am right.... That is all, is it not? I am truly
sorry not to have seen Lady Torrens. I hope she will be better.... Oh
yes--it's all right about the time. They know I am coming, at Poynders.
And I should have time