nued.' ... 'Am taking
advantage of my housekeeper's visit to the Towers to send this.' ...
'Not to have it till to-morrow.' ... How was that?" Gwen explained
briefly, and he said:--"Looks as if the doctor took it for granted you
would come at once."

"Yes," said Gwen, "on receipt of the letter."

The Countess said, as one whose patience is sorely and undeservedly
tried:--"What _is_ it all about? I suppose we are to know." The war and
Louis Napoleon and Florence Nightingale lulled, and each asked his
neighbour what it was, and was answered:--"Don't know." The Colonel, a
man of the fewest possible words, said to the General:--"Rum! Not young
Torrens, I suppose?" And the General replied:--"No, no! Old lady of
eighty." Which the Colonel seemed to think was all right, and didn't
matter.

"I think, if I were you, I should see the woman who brought it," said
the Earl, after reading the letter twice; once quickly and once slowly.
Gwen answered:--"Yes, I think so,"--and left the room abruptly. Her
father took the letter, which he had retained, to show to her mother,
who read it once and handed it back to him. "I cannot advise," said she,
speaking a little from Olympus. She came down the mountain, however, to
say:--"See that she doesn't do anything mad. You have some influence
with her," and left the case--one of _dementia_--to her husband.

"I think," said he, "if you will excuse me, my dear, I will speak to
this woman myself."

Her ladyship demurred. "Isn't it almost making the matter of too much
importance?" said she, looking at her finger-diamonds as though to
protest against any idea that she was giving her mind to the case of
_dementia_.

"I think not, my dear," said the Earl, meekly but firmly, and followed
his daughter out of the room.

* * * * *

Very late that night, or rather very early next day, in the smoking-room
to which such males as it pleased to do so retired for a last cigar,
sundry of the younger members of the vanishing shooting-party, and one
or two unexplained nondescripts, came to the knowledge of a fact that
made one of them say--"Hookey!"; another--"Crikey!"; and a third and
fourth that they were blowed. All considered, more or less, that Mr.
Norbury, their informant, who had come to see the lights out, didn't
mean to say what he had said. He, however, adhered to his statement,
which was that Lady Gwendolen had had alarming news about an old lady
whom she was muc