"Yes," said Carrie, "of course I do. I must have somebody to talk to." Leland made a gesture of vague appeal. "I suppose it's only natural, though I had 'most dared to hope you might be content for a little with my company. Anyway, we won't let that count. Couldn't you bring Mrs. Annersly out? I like her, and she told me that if I asked her she would come and stay a year. Then there's your younger sister." "You don't suppose that Lily would come to live here?" and there was something in her smile that jarred upon the man. "Well," he said, "I'm sorry. She was rather nice to me. Is there nobody else you could think of?" "One would almost fancy that you were trying to get away from the question. It is why you don't want me to bring Ada Heaton here." Leland leaned forward a little, and laid his hand upon her arm. "Won't you let it rest to please me? I haven't asked you very much." The girl was almost tempted to do so, but, unfortunately, she had some notion of what was influencing him, and resented it. "No," she said coldly. "I really think I ought to know." "Then I'm sorry, but it wouldn't suit me to have Mrs. Heaton here at all." "Why?" and an ominous red spot appeared in the girl's cheek as she shook off his arm. Leland stood up, and, leaning upon the chair-back, looked down at her. Perhaps he felt it gave him an advantage, and he would need it in the struggle which was evidently impending. He had never faced an angry woman before, and he shrank from it now, but not sufficiently to desist from what he felt he had to do. "I wonder if you have ever asked yourself why Mrs. Heaton is in Chicago when her home is in London," he said. "I can't believe that she told you." "Ah,"--and Carrie moved her head so that he could see the sparkle in her eyes--"you have heard those tales, and believed them--about a relative of mine. Presumably, you have heard nothing about Captain Heaton?" "It was one of your people who told me. They said the man was short of temper. So are a good many of us; and, it seems, he had some reason. Still, there's rather more against Mrs. Heaton than that she's not living with her own husband. Knowing you meant to ask her here, I made inquiries." The girl turned towards him with anger and contempt in her face, which was almost colourless now, although she fancied that he knew rather more than she did about the recent doings of the lady in question. The pride of family was especially strong in her, as it occasionally is in cases where there is very little to warrant it. "Your time was well employed," she said. "You who live here with your horses and cattle presume to decide how people of our station should spend their lives."