There was a little pause and Sir Caryll got up and moved uneasily toward the window. There, with his back turned, he halted, shifting his weight nervously from foot to foot and pulling at his mustache.

"It's no use," Kneedrock flung after him. "No use at all. She will never marry. She will never marry any one. She couldn't put up with it, don't you know."

Carleigh turned sharply about. "Did she ever kiss _you_?" he cried.

"Could _you_ forget it?"

"Kiss me!" calmly and indifferently. "My dear boy, of course she did.

She thinks no more of kisses than other women do of touching finger-tips and saying: 'How are you?' She doesn't take osculation seriously, old chap."

Then there was another pause.

At its end Carleigh, speaking very low, said: "Thanks, my dear fellow.

You've done your best and I'm grateful. But--I think I'll follow her."

And he did.

CHAPTER XVI

Where Amor Led

Love leading, Carleigh followed. On his way to the railway station he wired to the Honorable Julian Archdeacon, Carfen House:

Can you put me up for a few days? Longing to see you and Cecile.

Wire answer Junior Carlton Club.

When he got up to town the bid was there waiting for him. So he went down the next morning by a ridiculously--a suspiciously--early train.

The Archdeacons were not deceived in the least by the flattering wording of the telegram. They were strongly inclined to believe that something was up; and when their so suddenly demonstrative guest arrived before luncheon they were quite convinced.

Their first theory, however, which had to do with a certain presence at Cross Saddle Hall, the seat of the Dalgries, their nearest neighbors, was altogether wrong; as they very promptly discovered.

For before Sir Caryll had been in the house an hour Cecile came unexpectedly upon him and Nina Darling, with heads close together, ensconced in a secluded corner of the orangery.

Carleigh, blushing like a school-girl, had sprung up with a start.

"Fancy Mrs. Darling being here!" he cried, in a tone by no means free from embarra.s.sment. "We were at Bellingdown, you know, for the week-end.

But I'd no notion she was coming to you. It _was_ a surprise."

The poor boy was wofully transparent. It was all Cecile Archdeacon could do to keep her face straight; especially when behind his back Nina deliberately winked at her.

Of course she lost no time in telling Julian. It was far too good to keep.

"By gad!" he cried, laughing. "Nina's never out of character, is she?

Think of her catching poor Carleigh on the rebound! No man's immune from her. Even I--"

"Don't flatter yourself," his wife cut in. "You're far too pursy. Nina likes them with a waist."

"Really!" he exclaimed, swallowing his bruised conceit. "I didn't know.

I've never noticed her preferences. At that I think you're wrong, Cis.

It's just the chap that happens to be 'round."

"It's just the chap that happens not to be round," returned his wife.

But Julian, as good, kindly and stupid as he was corpulent, never saw it in the least.

Meanwhile, Nina and Caryll were battling over old scores in the orangery.

"So you want me to go away?" said she.

"No. I want you to come away--with me," said he.

"I told you if you followed me here I'd leave."

"But you didn't mean it. I know you didn't mean it. It was just to test me."

"It was nothing of the sort. I was never more in earnest. I begged Lord Kneedrock to chain you if necessary. Did he say anything to you?"

"Oh, yes, of course. He did have quite a talk with me. Wanted to take me to his shooting-box and all that sort of thing. But I didn't fancy he meant to put me in irons. He was really very kind."

"Nibbetts kind?" queried Nina, plucking an orange leaf and doubling it in her long white fingers. "Then he must have contemplated extreme measures. What was it he said?"

"He said that perhaps you were getting too fond of me. Are you?"

"He didn't. I don't believe you. I can't hear him saying anything like that. Not at all."

"He said it," Carleigh insisted. "I'm wondering if it isn't true. You're afraid I'll carry you off by storm."

"I'm afraid you're very silly," she said, dropping the leaf and yawning without any disguise. "And I do hate to be bored."

"He said I bored you. Did you tell him that?"

"I forget. I may have. It's not unlikely."

"I'm sorry. You never gave any sign until just now. I thought you liked me no end. A woman doesn't let a man--"

She knew what was coming, and he got no farther.

"You'll bore me very much if you go into that. I'm different, you know.

I thought I made that plain. I'm not at all like other women--prudish and all that. If a man can get any comfort out of holding my hand I'm not selfish enough to deny him. And you did so need comfort. It isn't at all kind of you to make more of it."

He leaned closer to her. His eyes were very big and there was an undeniable flush on his young, fair cheeks.

"But--you let me kiss you," he said, "and--and you--you--"

"You're trying to say I kissed you back, I suppose. Well, what of it?"