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Lady Caroline frowned impatiently。 Hers was an alert； vigorous mind； bright and strong like a steel trap； and her brother's vagueness and growing habit of inattention irritated her。
〃I mean to speak to her about being engaged to Reggie。 You are her father。 Surely you can at least try to persuade her。〃
〃Can't coerce a girl。〃
〃I never suggested that you should coerce her； as you put it。 I merely meant that you could point out to her； as a father； where her duty and happiness lie。〃
〃Drink this！〃 cried his lordship with sudden fury； spraying his can over the nearest bush； and addressing his remark to the invisible thrips。 He had forgotten Lady Caroline pletely。 〃Don't stint yourselves！ There's lots more！〃
A girl came down the steps of the castle and made her way towards them。 She was a good…looking girl； with an air of quiet efficiency about her。 Her eyes were grey and whimsical。 Her head was uncovered； and the breeze stirred her dark hair。 She made a graceful picture in the morning sunshine； and Reggie Byng； sighting her from the terrace； wobbled in his tracks； turned pink； and lost the thread of his remarks。
The sudden appearance of Alice Faraday always affected him like that。
〃I have copied out the notes you made last night； Lord Marshmoreton。 I typed two copies。〃
Alice Faraday spoke in a quiet； respectful； yet subtly authoritative voice。 She was a girl of great character。 Previous employers of her services as secretary had found her a jewel。 To Lord Marshmoreton she was rapidly being a perfect incubus。 Their views on the relative importance of gardening and family histories did not coincide。 To him the history of the Marshmoreton family was the occupation of the idle hour： she seemed to think that he ought to regard it as a life…work。 She was always ing and digging him out of the garden and dragging him back to what should have been a purely after…dinner task。 It was Lord Marshmoreton's habit； when he awoke after one of his naps too late to resume work； to throw out some vague promise of 〃attending to it tomorrow〃； but； he reflected bitterly； the girl ought to have tact and sense to understand that this was only polite persiflage； and not to be taken literally。
〃They are very rough；〃 continued Alice； addressing her conversation to the seat of his lordship's corduroy trousers。 Lord Marshmoreton always assumed a stooping attitude when he saw Miss Faraday approaching with papers in her hand； for he laboured under a pathetic delusion； of which no amount of failures could rid him； that if she did not see his face she would withdraw。 〃You remember last night you promised you would attend to them this morning。〃 She paused long enough to receive a non…mittal grunt by way of answer。 〃Of course； if you're busy〃 she said placidly； with a half…glance at Lady Caroline。 That masterful woman could always be counted on as an ally in these little encounters。
〃Nothing of the kind！〃 said Lady Caroline crisply。 She was still ruffled by the lack of attention which her recent utterances had received； and weled the chance of administering discipline。 〃Get up at once； John； and go in and work。〃
〃I am working；〃 pleaded Lord Marshmoreton。
Despite his forty…eight years his sister Caroline still had the power at times to make him feel like a small boy。 She had been a great martinet in the days of their mutual nursery。
〃The Family History is more important than grubbing about in the dirt。 I cannot understand why you do not leave this sort of thing to MacPherson。 Why you should pay him liberal wages and then do his work for him； I cannot see。 You know the publishers are waiting for the History。 Go and attend to these notes at once。〃
〃You promised you would attend to them this morning； Lord Marshmoreton；〃 said Alice invitingly。
Lord Marshmoreton clung to his can of whale…oil solution with the clutch of a drowning man。 None knew better than he that these interviews； especially when Caroline was present to lend the weight of her dominating personality； always ended in the same way。
〃Yes； yes； yes！〃 he said。 〃Tonight； perhaps。 After dinner； eh？ Yes； after dinner。 That will be capital。〃
〃I think you ought to attend to them this morning；〃 said Alice； gently persistent。 It really perturbed this girl to feel that she was not doing work enough to merit her generous salary。 And on the subject of the history of the Marshmoreton family she was an enthusiast。 It had a glamour for her。
Lord Marshmoreton's fingers relaxed their hold。 Throughout the rose…garden hundreds of spared thrips went on with their morning meal； unwitting of doom averted。
〃Oh； all right； all right； all right！ e into the library。〃
〃Very well； Lord Marshmoreton。〃 Miss Faraday turned to Lady Caroline。 〃I have been looking up the trains； Lady Caroline。 The best is the twelve…fifteen。 It has a dining…car； and stops at Belpher if signalled。〃
〃Are you going away； Caroline？〃 inquired Lord Marshmoreton hopefully。
〃I am giving a short talk to the Social Progress League at Lewisham。 I shall return tomorrow。〃
〃Oh！〃 said Marshmoreton； hope fading from his voice。
〃Thank you； Miss Faraday；〃 said Lady Caroline。 〃The twelve…fifteen。〃
〃The motor will be round at a quarter to twelve。〃
〃Thank you。 Oh； by the way； Miss Faraday； will you call to Reggie as you pass； and tell him I wish to speak to him。〃
Maud had left Reggie by the time Alice Faraday reached him； and that ardent youth was sitting on a stone seat； smoking a cigarette and entertaining himself with meditations in which thoughts of Alice peted for precedence with graver reflections connected with the subject of the correct stance for his approach…shots。 Reggie's was a troubled spirit these days。 He was in love； and he had developed a bad slice with his mid…iron。 He was practically a soul in torment。
〃Lady Caroline asked me to tell you that she wishes to speak to you； Mr。 Byng。〃
Reggie leaped from his seat。
〃Hullo…ullo…ullo！ There you are！ I mean to say； what？〃
He was conscious； as was his custom in her presence； of a warm； prickly sensation in the small of the back。 Some kind of elephantiasis seemed to have attacked his hands and feet； swelling them to enormous proportions。 He wished profoundly that he could get rid of his habit of yelping with nervous laughter whenever he encountered the girl of his dreams。 It was calculated to give her a wrong impression of a chapmake her think him a fearful chump and what not！
〃Lady Caroline is leaving by the twelve…fifteen。〃
〃That's good！ What I mean to say isoh； she is； is she？ I see what you mean。〃 The absolute necessity of saying something at least moderately coherent gripped him。 He rallied his forces。 〃You wouldn't care to e for a stroll； after I've seen the mater； or a row on the lake； or any rot like that； would you？〃
〃Thank you very much； but I must go in and help Lord Marshmoreton with his book。〃
〃What a rottenI mean； what a dam' shame！〃
The pity of it tore at Reggie's heart strings。 He burned with generous wrath against Lord Marshmoreton； that modern Simon Legree； who used his capitalistic power to make a slave of this girl and keep her toiling indoors when all the world was sunshine。
〃Shall I go and ask him if you can't put it off till after dinner？〃
〃Oh； no； thanks very much。 I'm sure Lord Marshmoreton wouldn't dream of it。〃
She passed on with a pleasant smile。 When he had recovered from the effect of this Reggie proceeded slowly to the upper level to meet his step…mother。
〃Hullo； mater。 Pretty fit and so forth？ What did you want to see me about？〃
〃Well； Reggie； what is the news？〃
〃Eh？ What？ News？ Didn't you get hold of a paper at breakfast？ Nothing much in it。 Tam Duggan beat Alec Fraser three up and two to play at Prestwick。 I didn't notice anything else much。 There's a new musical edy at the Regal。 Opened last night； and seems to be just like mother makes。 The Morning Post gave it a topping notice。 I must trickle up to town and see it some time this week。〃
Lady Caroline frowned。 This slowness in the uptake； ing so soon after her brother's inattention； displeased her。
〃No； no； no。 I mean you and Maud have been talking to each other for quite a long time； and she seemed very interested in what you were saying。 I hoped you might have some good news for me。〃
Reggie's face brightened。 He caught her drift。
〃Oh； ah； yes； I see what you mean。 No； there wasn't anything of that sort or shape or order。〃
〃What were you saying to her； then； that interested her so much？〃
〃I was explaining how I landed dead on the pin with my spoon out of a sand…trap at the eleventh hole yesterday。 It certainly was a pretty ripe shot； considering。 I'd sliced into this baby bunker； don't you know； I simply can't keep 'em straight with the iron nowadaysand there the pill was； grinning up at me from the sand。 Of course； strictly speaking； I ought to have used a niblick； but
〃Do you mean to say； Reggie； that； with such an excellent opportunity； you did not ask Maud to marry you？〃
〃I see what you mean。 Well； as a matter of absolute fact； I； as it were； didn't。〃
Lady Caroline uttered a wordless sound。
〃By the way； mater；〃 said Reggie； 〃I forgot to tell you about that。 It's all off。〃
〃What！〃
〃Ab