over her aunt's shoulder
and spoke with a gentle courtesy very much her own.

"I always like to meet Auntie's friends!"

Not knowing the man from Adam she spoke no untruth, but in spite of
reiterated calls to come down to tea she remained in her bedroom until
the loud-voiced guest had taken his departure.

While the two women were having yet another cup of tea Sir Walter
Hickle, millionaire, tradesman, and knight, sat down gingerly upon a
rock and made his plans.

He had made his plans as a bull-necked, offensive youth the first day
he had pulled out from Covent Garden with a barrow piled with walnuts
bought out of two rustlers, value of ten pun each.

"I'll _get there_!" he had informed the nuts as he tweaked his cap over
one eye, and his red neckerchief into place; and had sworn a mighty and
quite unprintable oath as he struck a huge fist into a horny palm at
the corner of Ludgate Circus and New Bridge Street.

"I'll _get there_!" he informed the seaweed as he lifted the soft grey
hat from his bald head and adjusted the enormous pearl pin in the pale
pink satin tie; and he sighed stertorously as he complacently patted
his knee with a podgy hand, upon the manicured plebeian fingers of
which shone two magnificent diamond rings.

And if you cannot penetrate the strongholds of Devon county, it is not
difficult to make acquaintance with her visitors, especially if your
visiting card is a gilt edge security for future excursions and
diversions done in top-hole style.

Unsuspecting Leonie, who never kept a grudge, after a week or so of
astonishment and aversion, thinking in her innocence of heart that she
perceived the trend of events, made up her mind to meet the rotund old
knight with the simple graciousness due to her aunt's would-be husband.

True, the elasticity of her graciousness did not stretch enough to
allow her to accept the never-ending invitations which poured into the
cottage; but she would tuck her remonstrating aunt into the car which
was ever at the gate, and smile delightfully upon the infatuated old
fellow who put her aloofness down to mere girlish waywardness.

Although the corporeal part of the old vulgarian grated on her
susceptibilities, she was quite willing to believe that if one chose to
dig deep enough it would prove to be only the rough earth covering a
positive mine of rare temperamental gems; and in her blindness whistled
cheerily as she thought of the joy her aunt would feel at not