o say was this. When he had disposed of Philippa
and chaffed Tim a little--not disrespectfully you know--he became
suddenly serious, and talked about Gwen--spoke with a hesitating
deference, almost ceremoniously. Said he had had some conversation with
Lady Gwendolen, and been impressed with her intelligence and wit. Most
young ladies of her age were so frivolous. He was the more impressed
that her beauty was undeniable. The brief glimpse he had had of her had
greatly affected him artistically--it was an Aesthetic impression
entirely. He overdid this."

Miss Dickenson nodded slightly in confidence with herself. _Her_ insight
jotted down a brief memorandum about Mr. Pellew's, and the credit it did
him. That settled, she recalled a something he had left unfinished
earlier. "You were asking about Lord Cumberworld, Mr. Pellew?"

"Whether there was anything afoot in that quarter? Yes, he asked that,
and wanted to know if Mrs. Bailey, who had been retailing current
gossip, was rightly informed when she said that there was, and that it
was going to come off. He was very anxious to show how detached he was
personally. Made jokes about its 'coming off' like a boot...."

"Stop a minute to see if I understand.... Oh yes--I see. 'If there was
anything afoot.' Of course. Go on."

"It was a poor quip, and failed of its purpose. His relief was too
palpable when I disallowed Mrs. Bailey.... By-the-by, that's a rum
thing, Miss Dickenson,--that way young men have. I believe if I did it
once when I was a young fillah I did it fifty times."

"Did what?"

"Well--breathed free on hearing that a girl wasn't engaged. Doesn't
matter how doosid little they know of her--only seen her in the Park on
horseback, p'r'aps--they'll eat a lot more lunch if they're told she's
still in the market. Fact!"

Miss Dickenson said that no doubt Mr. Pellew knew best, and that it was
gratifying to think how many young men's lunches her earlier days might
have intensified without her knowing anything about it. The gentleman
felt himself bound to reassure and confirm, for was not the lady
_passee_? "Rather!" said he; this favourite expression this time
implying that the name of these lunches was no doubt Legion. An awkward
sincerity of the lady caused her to say:--"I didn't mean that." And
then she had to account for it. She was intrepid enough to venture on:
"What I meant was, never being engaged," but not cool enough to keep of
one colour exactly. It didn'