Her voice broke; she turned away, as aghast as Harry. She had kept her temper with Charis; she had not dreamt that she would lose it with Harry; she had not meant to utter such reproaches to him; and was now horrified that she had done so. What had come over her she could not imagine; but suddenly she had found herself trembling, and with such rage possessing her as she had never before experienced. It left her weak, bewildered, and struggling to hold back a rush of tears. She said, in a stifled voice: “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it — I’m out of frame — tired! Forget it — pray! And go away, if you please!”

“Oh, certainly!” replied Harry. “I am very willing to do!”

With that, he stalked out of the room, seething with mortification, and a burning sense of injustice. There was just enough truth in Frederica’s intemperate accusations to touch his conscience, and this made him much angrier than if there had been none. Whose fault was it that he hadn’t accepted his responsibilities? Frederica’s, of course! a rare dust there would have been, if he had tried to interfere in her management of the family! When had she asked him for aid? Never! At all events, never until she had begged him to devote himself to Charis during her own absence from London. Had he done it? Yes, he had, and without a word of complaint, although he had been obliged to forgo all the entertainments to which he had been looking forward! Was it to please himself that he had remained in London during the past few weeks? No, by God it was not! He had done so at her request. Left to himself, he would have posted down to Monk’s Farm immediately.

He continued in this way for some time, posing questions to himself, and finding answers to them which were irrefutable, and yet afforded him little satisfaction. His sense of ill-usage increased; and when Charis sought him out presently to implore him to help her he was in exactly the right mood to lend himself to any enterprise likely to vex. Frederica.

In view of her enforced, and possibly imminent, incarceration at Alver, Charis considered it to be of vital importance to consult Endymion: would her dearest Harry convey a message to him? and could he think of any respectable rendezvous?

Certainly he could! He would visit Endymion that very evening; as for a respectable rendezvous, nothing could be easier! They would meet in Kensington Gardens, and he himself would escort Charis there.

“Oh, Harry, I knew I might depend on you!” breathed Charis.

This was balm to his injured feelings. At least one of his sisters appreciated him! It was a pity, in a way (but not in other ways), that Frederica wasn’t present to hear this declaration of faith; but at all events she would very soon be made to realize that he was not the contemptible fribble she seemed, to think him, but a force to be reckoned with.

But when she came into the drawing-room, just before dinner, much of his rancour faded. He was alone, and she went straight up to him, and put her arms round his neck, kissing his cheek, and saying: “Oh, Harry! Such an archwife as you have for a sister! Forgive me!”

The sense of injury was still strong in him. It was melting fast, but it prompted him to say: “Well, I must own, Freddy, I think it was pretty unjust of you!”

He was prepared to prove to her, point by point, just as he had proved it to himself, that she had grossly misjudged him; and had she allowed him to do it he would very soon have talked himself into good humour. But she did not. She had already endured two agitating scenes; she was tired; her head ached; she wanted, more than anything, to go to bed; and less than anything to become engaged in any further argument. So she said: “Yes, dear, I know it was. Let us talk of something else!”

“That’s all very well, but it was you who brought up the subject of Endymion and Charis, and — ”

“For heaven’s sake, Harry, no!” she exclaimed. “I can’t and I won’t enter into argument with you!”

He read into this an elder sister’s contempt for his opinion, and instantly stiffened, saying with freezing civility: “As you wish!” She knew that she had wounded his sensibilities, and that she ought to reassure him, but she also knew that it would require tact and patience, both of which virtues had deserted her; so she merely smiled wearily at him., excusing herself with the reflection that Harry’s miffs never lasted for long.

Charis came down to dinner, rather red-eyed, but quite composed; and when she and Frederica retired to the drawing-room, she took up her stitchery, responding to Frederica’s attempt at conversation, but inaugurating none herself.

They went early to bed; and Frederica’s heart was lightened by the clinging embrace she received, in answer to her good-night kiss.

She fell asleep almost at once, but Charis lay awake, listening for Harry’s step on the stairs. When it came, she sat up expectantly, for he had promised to let her know the result of his mission. She called “Come in!” in a hushed voice, when he tapped softly on her door, and scarcely waited for him to shut it before demanding: “Oh, Harry, did you see him?”

“Yes, of course I did. Don’t speak so loud!” he replied, with a significant glance at the wall which separated her room from Frederica’s.

“What did he say?” she asked, obediently lowering her voice. “What does he think we should do?”

“He said he must have time to consider the matter,” he answered, unable to repress a grin.

“It naturally came as a great shock to Mm,” said Charis, with dignity.

“Lord, yes! Knocked him bandy! Didn’t seem able to say anything at first but ‘What a devilish thing!’ However, we’re to meet him tomorrow, so you may be easy! By-the-by, we had better decide on some errand, in case Frederica wants to know where we are off to — which you may lay your life she will!”

“Oh, no, Harry, must we? I can’t bear to deceive her!” Charis said wretchedly.

“Well, if that’s the case you had better not meet Endymion!”

“But I must!”

“Then stop being a goose! Isn’t there anything you wish to purchase?”

After prolonged thought, Charis said that if she were forced to go to Alver she would need some drawing-paper — not that she would have the heart to use it; so this subterfuge was agreed upon, and Harry went off to bed, recommending her not to get into one of her worries.

She was terribly nervous next day, but fortune favoured her. When it was time to set out for Kensington Gardens, and she went to take leave of Frederica, she found that she was entertaining a morning visitor, in the person of Lord Buxted.

Her entrance created a welcome interruption. His evil genius had prompted his lordship, as soon as he had shaken hands with Felix, who was lying on the sofa, to express the hope that he would never again cause his sister to suffer so much anxiety. Frederica intervened, but to no avail. Lord Buxted had decided long since that she was by far too indulgent, and he said, with a smile which instantly set up the hackles of all three Merrivilles: “You have a very forgiving sister, Felix! I am afraid I think you deserved all that happened to you! I’ll say no more, but — ”

“I wouldn’t listen to you, whatever you said!” Felix burst out, his cheeks scarlet, and his blue eyes flaming. “You’ve no right! You aren’t my guardian!”

“Felix, hold your tongue!” Jessamy said sharply, pressing him back against the cushions. He glanced at Buxted, and said, carefully choosing his words: “It is quite unnecessary to scold my brother, sir, I assure you.”

“It isn’t his business to scold me!” declared Felix furiously. “It’s Cousin Alverstoke’s business, and he did! And it wasn’t a — bear-garden jaw, because he’s a right one, and he knew I was as sorry as I could be, and if he chooses to make me regret I was ever born if I do it again he may!”

Since it was obvious that Felix was fast working himself into a state of undesirable excitement, and even more obvious that an attempt to wring an apology from him would be violently rebuffed, Frederica greeted her sister’s entrance with heartfelt relief.

She did not for a moment believe that Harry was going to escort Charis on a shopping expedition, but she accepted the story, merely saying: “Are you taking Lufra? I shouldn’t, if I were you!”

“Oh, no!” Charis said, releasing her hold on Lufra’s collar. “Only he knows we are going out, and he’s bound to try to get out the instant the door is opened, so I brought him to you, Jessamy.”

He nodded, and snapped his fingers at Lufra, who was sniffing at Buxted’s well-polished boots; and Charis went away, thankful to have escaped questioning.

Buxted’s presence must have precluded suspicious enquiries, but Frederica would not, in any event, have made any. She was not a gaoler, nor did she wish Charis to feel that she was being kept under surveillance. There was little doubt that she had an assignation with Endymion, and deplorable though this was it would be needlessly unkind to prevent what would probably be their last meeting for some months. And at least she was taking Harry with her.

She dismissed the matter from her thoughts, and set herself to divert Lord Buxted, who was annoying Jessamy by commenting humorously on the astonishment visitors must feel to find such a monster as Lufra in Frederica’s drawing-room.

But none of the three visitors who were presently ushered into the room evinced any astonishment. The first was Darcy Moreton, whom Buxted eyed with hostility; and within a few minutes Lady Elizabeth Kent-mere and Lord Alverstoke were announced.

The effect of this was electric, and was observed by Mr Moreton rather ruefully. There was no misreading the smile in Frederica’s eyes, and no doubt whatsoever that Alverstoke was on the best of terms with his wards. Felix shouted joyfully: “Cousin Alverstoke!” and struggled to his feet; and Jessamy, pausing only to bow to Lady Elizabeth, began instantly to tell him of something that had happened at Monk’s Farm after his departure. As Felix also had something to tell him, and Lufra, catching the spirit of these demonstrations, uttered some yelping barks, pandemonium reigned for several minutes. Lady Elizabeth was laughing, and said, as she shook hands with Frederica: “I knew that they liked him, but not that his arrival would cause a riot!”