The unfortunate Baroness dropped a silent tear. Her peace of mind had
been serenely undisturbed till this moment, and now it was only broken
by the thought of her husband's displeasure should he ever learn how she
had disobeyed his injunctions. Further investigation was the very last
thing to cure it, she said to herself bitterly. She looked piteously
at her parent, but there she only saw an expression of concentrated
purpose.

"Have you any reason, Alicia, to suspect an attachment--an affair of any
kind?"

"Mamma!"

"Do not jump in that excitable manner. Think quietly. He has evidently
returned to Germany for some purpose which he wishes to conceal from us:
the natural supposition is that a woman is at the bottom of it."

"Rudolph is incapable----"

"No man is incapable who is in the full possession of his faculties. I
know them perfectly."

"But, mamma, I cannot bear to think of such a thing!"

"That is a merely middle-class prejudice. I can't imagine where you have
picked it up."

In point of fact, during Alicia's girlhood Lady Grillyer had always been
at the greatest pains to preserve her daughter's innocent simplicity,
as being preeminently a more marketable commodity than precocious
worldliness. But if reminded of this she would probably have retorted
that consistency was middle-class also.

"I have no reason to suspect anything of the sort," the Baroness
declared emphatically.

Her mother indulged her with a pitying smile and inquired--

"What other explanation can you offer? Among his men friends is there
anyone likely to lead him into mischief?"

"None--at least----"

"Ah!"

"He promised me he would avoid Mr. Bunker--I mean Mr. Essington."

The Countess started. She had vivid and exceedingly distasteful
recollections of Mr. Bunker.

"That man! Are they still acquainted?"

"Acquainted--oh yes; but I give Rudolph credit for more sense and more
truthfulness than to renew their friendship."

The Countess pondered with a very grave expression upon her face, while
Alicia gently wiped her eyes and ardently wished that her honest Rudolph
was here to defend his character and refute these baseless insinuations.
At length her mother said with a brisker air--

"Ah! I know exactly what we must do. I shall make a point of seeing Sir
Justin Wallingford tomorrow."

"Sir Justin Wallingford!"

"If anybody can obtain private information for us he can. We shall soon
learn whether the Baron has been s