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 ?" Lola looked at him. "What would people say?" she demanded reproachfully.

"The worst without a doubt; but what they would say would be as nothing to what they would think. It's not really reserved, you know," he added, "merely the result of the constitutional venality of railway guards."

"But you don't consider my reputation."

"You have allowed me to consider little else for the last nine days," was the calm retort.

"Well, you must come to lunch to-morrow and explain to auntie, and bring Lord Drewitt. We'll invite Mr. Deacon Quelch. He's auntie's pet medium. It's so funny to see Lord Drewitt look at him." She laughed at the recollection.

"I think Drew mentioned that he had met Mr. Quelch," said Beresford drily, recollecting Drewitt's description.

"Now you won't forget," she said. "Two o'clock to-morrow, and above all discretion."

"Do you think I'm likely to forget?" he asked pointedly, "the luncheon, I mean."

"You might faint again," she suggested demurely, "or—or"

"Or what?"

"Or go away," she glanced at him swiftly.

Somehow her simple remark seemed to bring back to him the full realisation of his position. A week or two and he would be faced by He shook himself as if to drive away the thought.

"Why did you do that?" she asked curiously.