“Oh!” said Felix. “Well, I won’t ask anyone to marry me,if that’s what you have to do! I must say, I never thought that you,sir, would have — ” Again he broke off, as a thought struck him. “Will that make her a — a She-Marquis? Oh, Jessamy, did you hear that? Frederica is going to be a She-Marquis!”

“What you mean is a Marchioness,you ignorant little ape!” replied his austere brother, closing the door behind him. “And there’s nothing funny about it!” He looked at Frederica, and said simply. “I’m glad.” He added, with a touch of awkwardness: “We shall miss you — but I am glad!”

She stretched out her hand to him. “Dear Jessamy! But you won’t miss me — we shall still be together! The only difference is that we shall all of us — you, and Felix, and I — live with Cousin Alverstoke, instead of at Graynard, and you won’t object to that, I know!”

He did not answer her, but turned his eyes upon the Marquis, saying: “Thank you! But — you can’t wish to have us foisted on to you, sir!”

“No, a hideous prospect!” agreed his lordship. “The thing is that I couldn’t get your sister on easier terms.”

One of his rare smiles swept across Jessamy’s face. “You — you are the most complete hand, sir!”

“No, he isn’t!” said Felix. “Why shouldn’t he wish to have us? It isn’t as though we should be a trouble to him! Cousin Alverstoke, what I particularly wanted to ask you is, may I have a workshop at Alver? For experiments? If I promise faithfully not to blow the house up? If you please, Cousin Alverstoke…?”