ELLEAN.

[_In an undertone to_ MRS. CORTELYON.] Never mind. Not now, dear--not to-night.

AUBREY.

Eh?

MRS. CORTELYON.

[_To_ ELLEAN _aloud._] Child, run away and take your things off. She doesn't look as if she'd journeyed from Paris to-day.

AUBREY.

I've never seen her with such a colour.

[_Taking_ ELLEAN'S _hands._

ELLEAN.

[_To_ AUBREY, _in a faint voice._] Papa, Mrs. Cortelyon has been so very, very kind to me, but I--I have come home.

[_She goes out._

AUBREY.

Come home! [_To_ MRS. CORTELYON.] Ellean returns to us, then?

MRS. CORTELYON.

That's the very point I put to you in my letters, and you oblige me to travel from Paris to Willowmere on a warm day to settle it. I think perhaps it's right that Ellean should be with you just now, although I---- My dear friend, circ.u.mstances are a little altered.

AUBREY.

Alice, you're in some trouble.

MRS. CORTELYON.

Well--yes, I _am_ in trouble. You remember pretty little Mrs.

Brereton who was once Caroline Ardale?

AUBREY.

Quite well.

MRS. CORTELYON.

She's a widow now, poor thing. She has the _entresol_ of the house where we've been lodging in the Avenue de Friedland. Caroline's a dear chum of mine; she formed a great liking for Ellean.

AUBREY.

I'm very glad.

MRS. CORTELYON.

Yes, it's nice for her to meet her mother's friends. Er--that young Hugh Ardale the papers were full of some time ago--he's Caroline Brereton's brother, you know.

AUBREY.

No, I didn't know. What did he do? I forget.

MRS. CORTELYON.

Checked one of those horrid mutinies at some far-away station in India, marched down with a handful of his men and a few faithful natives, and held the place until he was relieved. They gave him his company and a V.C. for it.

AUBREY.

And he's Mrs. Brereton's brother?

MRS. CORTELYON.

Yes. He's with his sister--_was_, rather--in Paris. He's home--invalided. Good gracious, Aubrey, why don't you help me out?

Can't you guess what has occurred?

AUBREY.

Alice!

MRS. CORTELYON.

Young Ardale--Ellean!

AUBREY.

An attachment?

MRS. CORTELYON.

Yes, Aubrey. [_After a little pause._] Well, I suppose I've got myself into sad disgrace. But really I didn't foresee anything of this kind. A serious, reserved child like Ellean, and a boyish, high-spirited soldier--it never struck me as being likely. [AUBREY _paces to and fro thoughtfully._] I did all I could directly Captain Ardale spoke--wrote to you at once. Why on earth don't you receive your letters promptly, and when you do get them why can't you open them? I endured the anxiety till last night, and then made up my mind--home! Of course, it has worried me terribly. My head's bursting. Are there any salts about? [AUBREY _fetches a bottle from the cabinet and hands it to her._] We've had one of those hateful smooth crossings that won't let you be properly indisposed.

AUBREY.

My dear Alice, I a.s.sure you I've no thought of blaming you.

MRS. CORTELYON.

That statement always precedes a quarrel.

AUBREY.