Has Miss Brandt taken up her residence altogether
with Madame Gobelli?”

“I think not! She told me her life there was very dull, and she should
like to change it.”

“She is in a most unfortunate position for a young girl,” remarked
Margaret, “left parentless, with money at her command, and in a strange
country! And with the strange stigma attached to her birth--”

“I don’t believe in stigmas being attached to one’s birth,” returned
Pennell hastily, “the only stigmas worth thinking about, are those we
bring upon ourselves by our misconduct--such a one, for instance, as my
cousin Ralph has done with regard to Miss Brandt! I would rather be in
her shoes than his. Ralph thinks, perhaps, that being a stranger and
friendless she is fair game--”

“Who is that, taking my name in vain?” interrupted a languid voice at
the open door, as Captain Pullen advanced into the room. Margaret Pullen started and grew very red at being detected in
discussing her brother-in-law’s actions, but Anthony Pennell, who was
always ruffled by his cousin’s affected walk and drawl, blurted the
truth right out. “_I_ was,” he replied, hardly touching the hand which Captain Pullen
extended to him, “I was just telling Mrs. Pullen of the high estimation
in which your name is held at the Red House!”

It was now Ralph’s turn to grow red. His fair face flushed from chin to
brow, as he repeated,

“The Red House! what Red House?”

“Did they not mention the name to you? I mean the residence of Madame
Gobelli. I was dining there yesterday.”

“Dining there, were you? By Jove! I didn’t know you were acquainted
with the woman. Isn’t she a queer old party? Baroness Boots, eh? Fancy
your knowing them! I thought you were a cut above that, Anthony!”

“If the Gobellis were good enough for you to be intimate with in Heyst,
I suppose they are good enough for me to dine with in London, Ralph! I
did not know until last evening, however, that you had left them to pay
for your rooms in Brussels, or I would have taken the money over with
me to defray the debt.”

Ralph had seated himself by this time, but he looked very uneasy and as
if he wished he had not come. “Did the old girl engage rooms for me?” he stammered. “Well! you know
the reason I could not go to Brussels, but of course if I had known
that she had gone to any expense for me, I would have repaid her. Did
she tell you of it herself?” he added, rather anxiously. “Yes! and a good many more things besides. As you have happened to come
in whilst we are on the question, I had better make a clean breast of
it. Perhaps you have heard that Miss Leyton has been to the Red House
and had an interview with Miss Brandt!”

“Yes! I’ve just come from Richmond, where we’ve had a jolly row over
it,” grumbled Ralph, pulling his moustaches. “Your family all felt that sort of thing could not go on--that it
must end one way or the other--and therefore I went to the Red House,
ostensibly to view Madame Gobelli’s collection of china, but in reality
to ascertain what view of the matter she and Miss Brandt took--and to
undeceive them as to your being in a position to pursue your intimacy
with the young lady any further.”

“And what the devil business have you to meddle in my private affairs?”
demanded Captain Pullen rousing himself. “Because, unfortunately, your mother happened to be my father’s
sister,” replied Pennell sternly, “and the scrapes you get in harm me
more than they do yourself! One officer more or less, who gets into a
scrape with women, goes pretty well unnoticed, but I have attained a
position in which I cannot afford to have my relations’ names bandied
about as having behaved in a manner unbecoming gentlemen.”

“Who dares to say that of me?” cried Ralph angrily. “Everybody who knows of the attention you paid Miss Brandt in Heyst,”
replied Anthony Pennell, boldly, “and without telling her that you were
already engaged to be married. I do not wonder at Miss Leyton being
angry about it! I only wonder she consents to have any more to do with
you in the circumstances.”

“O! we’ve settled all that!” said Ralph, testily, “we had the whole
matter out at Richmond this afternoon, and I’ve promised to be a good
boy for the future, and never speak to a pretty woman again! You need
not wonder any more about Elinor! She is only glad enough to get me
back at any price!”

“Yes? And what about Miss Brandt?” enquired Pennell. “Is she worrying about this affair?” asked Captain Pullen, quickly. “Not a bit! I think she estimates your attentions at their true value. I was alluding to the opinion she and her friends must have formed of
your character as an officer and a gentleman.”

“O! I’ll soon set all that right! I’ll run over to the Red House and
see the old girl, if you two will promise not to tell Elinor!”

“I should not advise you to do that! I am afraid you might get a warm
reception. I think Madame Gobelli is quite capable of having you soused
in the horse-pond. You would think the same if you had heard the names
she called you yesterday.”

“What did she call me?”

“Everything she could think of. She considers you have behaved not only
in a most ungentlemanly manner towards her, but in a most dishonourable
one to Miss Brandt. She particularly told me to tell you that she never
wished to see your face again.”

“Damn her!” exclaimed Captain Pullen, wrathfully, “and all her boots
and shoes into the bargain. A vulgar, coarse old tradesman’s wife! How
dare she----”

“Stop a minute, Ralph! The Baroness’s status in society makes no
difference in this matter. You know perfectly well that you did wrong. Let us have no more discussion of the subject.”

Captain Pullen leaned back sulkily in his chair. “Well! if I _did_ flirt a little bit more than was prudent with an
uncommonly distracting little girl,” he muttered presently, “I am sure
I have had to pay for it! Lord Walthamstowe insists that if I do not
marry Elinor before the Rangers start for Malta the engagement shall be
broken off, so I suppose I must do it! But it is a doosid nuisance to
be tied up at five-and-twenty, before one has half seen life! What the
dickens I am to do with her when I’ve got her, I’m sure I don’t know!”

“O! you will find married life very charming when you’re used to it!”
said Pennell consolingly, “and Miss Leyton is everything a fellow could
wish for in a wife! Only you must give up flirting, my boy, or if I
mistake not, you’ll find you’ve caught a tartar!”

“I expect to have to give up everything,” said the other with a sour
mouth. As soon as he perceived a favourable opportunity, Anthony Pennell rose
to take his leave. He did not wish to quarrel with Ralph Pullen about
a girl whom he had only seen once, at the same time he feared for his
own self-control, if his cousin continued to mention the matter in so
nonchalant a manner. Pennell had always despised Captain Pullen for his
easy conceit with regard to women, and it seemed to him to have grown
more detestably contemptible than before.