“I employ him to read my letters,” explained his lordship.

“Not those written by your nearest and dearest!”

“Oh, no, not them!” he agreed.

Her bosom swelled. “You are the most abom — ” She stopped, with a gasp; visibly wrought with herself; and contrived, by a heroic effort, to force the smile back to her lips, and to say, with a tolerable assumption of amusement: “Wretch! I shan’t allow you to take a rise out of me! I want to talk to you about Jane!”

“Who the devil is — Oh, yes, I know! One of your girls!”

“My eldest daughter, and, let me remind you, your niece, Alverstoke!”

“Unjust, Louisa, I needed no reminder!”

“I am bringing the dear child out this season,” she announced, ignoring the interpolation. “I shall present her, of course, at one of the Drawing-rooms — if the Queen holds any more, but they say her health is now so indifferent that — ”

“You’ll have to do something about her freckles — if she’s the one I think she is,” he interrupted. “Have you tried citron-water?”

“I didn’t invite you to come here to discuss Jane’s appearance!” she snapped.

“Well, why did you invite me?”

“To ask you to hold a ball in her honour — at Alverstoke House!” she disclosed, rushing her fence.

“To do what?”

“I know very well what you are going to say, but only consider, Vernon! She is your niece, and what place could be more suitable for her come-out ball than Alverstoke House?”

“This house!” he responded, without hesitation.

“Oh, don’t be so disagreeable! I am persuaded they could not dance above thirty couples in this room, and only think of all the fuss and botheration!”

“I am thinking of it,” said his lordship.

“But there can be no comparison! I mean, here, where I should be obliged to remove all the furniture from my drawing-room, besides using the dining-room for supper, and the parlour for the ladies’ cloaks — and Alverstoke House, where there is such a splendid ballroom! And it is my own old home, too!”