"The octopus had you fast. She adores her William--when she does not forget all about him."

The general grinned appreciatively. "She certainly does not favour us with much of her company; we're not fine enough for her. It was at your marriage, I believe, she was here last. Sue," turning to her, "wasn't it at Leo's marriage your Aunt Charlotte was here last?"

Sue believed so--gravely. Leo experienced a qualm, despite herself, and threw out a little flag of conciliation.

"What did you say when she asked about me, Sue?"

"What could I say? You ought not to have gone, Leonore."

"And you might have known that for yourself," appended Maud. "You really ought not to need so much looking after. Walking about alone with a young man!"

"I did not--we did not--walk far. I took him through the park to the side gate----"

A general exclamation.

"Do wait," continued Leo, quickly. "At the gate we fell in with Mr.

Custance,--" involuntarily her eye rested on Sue, and Sue was silenced on the instant,--"so then I knew we were all right. We headed him off coming here, for which I knew you would be grateful. He would not have a.s.similated with Aunt Charlotte's lot." She paused for a.s.sent, and perceiving the shot told, proceeded with confidence: "So we took the dear rector along with us--we could do nothing else,--and when I came back, they went on together. I thought it was rather masterly, myself."

"Why, aye, Custance would have been a fish out of water," allowed the general, nodding approval; "though to be sure the clergyman of the parish is always a respectable visitor. But what of young b.u.t.ts? I hope he did not think it rather cavalier being shipped off in that fashion?"

"You see I was quite civil to him, father. I saw him looking at his watch as if in a hurry to be off; so I suggested making his apologies to you; and we were standing near the door, so it made no disturbance; and my hat was in the hall, and I _was_ so glad to get out into the open air--there was no harm in it, was there, Sue?"

No wonder the recipient of so much diplomacy went home radiant. He really--really he,--dashed if he didn't think he had a chance. If he could only work it up--he hummed and hawed and considered. At length: "I'll tell you what, Aunt Laura, it's no use shilly-shallying when there's so little time. If you can bring about one other meeting----"

"I have thought of that, George, and have secured the Merivale girls for golf-croquet on Thursday."

"Bravo! you don't let the gra.s.s grow under your feet. Thursday? That's the last day I have here, but I suppose--no, you could not have done anything sooner."

"And I thought you might ride over to-morrow, with my note?"

"I say! That would look a bit pointed, wouldn't it?"

"Perhaps. But since Leonore was so nice to you to-day----"

"Oh, she was. Still----" he hesitated.

"What is it, George?--" a trifle impatiently.

"It's so beastly hard to tell. She's a dear little thing, and if she had been any one else, I should say she was--was----" and he laughed foolishly.

"_epris?_"

"Look here, Aunt Laura, I'm not a fool, and it seems almost uncanny, don't you know?"

"Your being in such luck?"

"A girl like that! If she were ugly and poor----"

"There's no accounting for tastes," quoth Lady b.u.t.ts, gaily. "Mr.

Stubbs--Leonore's first husband--was nothing in particular."

"So you think she might take a 'nothing in particular' for her second?

But remember she's in a different position now. She has only to lift up her little finger----"

"Apparently she has lifted it," Lady b.u.t.ts laughed and patted his arm.

"Do try and infuse some spirit into your faint heart, George. You have had the most wonderful encouragement----"

"It's just _that_ which frightens me. I--I don't like the look of it.

When a prospectus looks too rosy, we shy at it at Koellners. There's a screw loose somewhere."

"But just now you were all up in the air about Leonore?"

He was silent.

"Could she have done more than she did, George?"

"Less would have put things upon a sounder basis." He shook his head gloomily.

"A sounder basis? I don't know what you mean, I don't understand those business phrases," cried his aunt, with very natural vexation; "what in the world has 'a sounder basis' to do with Leonore Stubbs?"

"I'll tell you;" he roused himself, "I go about the world a good deal, and I know girls--a little. I know this, that it isn't usual for them to make the running so freely on their own account when they are--are--in earnest. When they are in search of scalps, it's different."

"Scalps? Oh, I see; I know. But surely Leonore----"

"She went for me--yes; but she was as cool as a cuc.u.mber. Do you know, once or twice to-day I felt not exactly nervous, but that way--but she?

Not a bit of her. She was all froth and foam,----"

"You are quite poetic, but you don't explain the 'sounder basis'?"

"Hang it all, aunt, I can't think that girl means anything."

"And yet when you came in just now, you told me she was so delightful and responsive."

"I said 'delightful'--I didn't say responsive'. The truth was, it was _I_ who had to be responsive. _She_ made the advances--if they could be called advances. And that isn't what I call having things upon a sound basis."

With which piece of wisdom the two separated, for though Lady b.u.t.ts told herself that her _protege_ was simply suffering from reaction, and that the reaction would pa.s.s, she felt that no more was to be gained by pursuing the subject at present.

When, however, the Bolderos declined her invitation for Thursday, and were not at home to the bearer of her note--(although George vowed he saw faces peeping from a window, and placed himself within view for a good many minutes thereafter)--her ladyship understood the meaning of the "business phrase," and owned that it had been correctly applied.

She made no further effort, and the whole trivial episode came to an end--but it had had its effect upon Leonore.

CHAPTER X.

THE THIRD CASE.