"Seven weeks, five days, four hours, and a few odd minutes," confirmed the defendant, looking at his watch. "--And you became engaged as recently as last Sunday." Lady Adela laid down the letter. "Where?" "On the top of a ’bus." "H’m!" said Mr. Mainwaring uneasily. "A rather unusual place, was it not?" enquired Lady Adela coldly. "Unusual," agreed Dicky readily, "but not irregular. Oh, no! Besides, Percy was there, three seats behind. Perfect dragon of a chaperon, old Perce! Yes, the proceedings were most correct, I promise you." "I note," continued Lady Adela, taking up the letter again, "that you do not say where you made Miss Welwyn’s acquaintance." "That was on the top of another ’bus," explained Dicky, with a disarming smile. "And was her brother," enquired Lady Adela, ominously calm, "present on _this_ occasion?" "Percy? Rather not! Otherwise I need not have interfered." "Int--" began both Lady Adela and Mr. Mainwaring together. "Yes," said Dicky glibly. "It was like this. The rain began to come down hard, and a rather poisonous-looking bounder sitting beside her offered her his umbrella." "Any gentleman would have done the same, Dick," interposed Mr. Mainwaring quietly. "Yes, Dad. But I don’t think any gentleman would have insisted on paying a girl’s fare for her; and I don’t think any gentleman would have considered a half-share in a three-and-ninepenny brolly an excuse for putting his arm round a girl’s waist," replied Dicky, with sudden passion. "He did that?" "Yes." "What did you do?" Dicky grinned cheerfully. "I did a pretty bright thing," he said. "It was no business of mine, of course, and I naturally did n’t want to start a brawl on the top of a Piccadilly omnibus--" "Dick, what were you doing on the top of an omnibus at all?" demanded Lady Adela unexpectedly. "Such economies are a new feature of your character." Dicky nodded his head sagely. "Yes," he agreed, "that’s a sound point--a sound point. What _was_ I doing on the top of that omnibus at all? That’s the mystery. I was extremely surprised myself. I have spent whole days since, wondering how I got there. I have come to the conclusion that it was Fate--just Fate! That’s it--Fate!" "My dear boy, don’t talk nonsense," said Lady Adela impatiently. "But I am quite serious, dear Mum," persisted Dicky. "I don’t as a rule go following unprotected young females onto the summits of omnibuses--" Lady Adela’s fine eyes began to protrude, crabwise. "You _followed_ her?" she gasped. "I did. What else was there to do?" said Dicky simply. "I might never have seen her again if I had n’t. Fate does n’t as a rule give a man two chances. I got this one, and I took it. One moment I was walking along Piccadilly, bucking about something to old Tiny Carmyle. Next moment there she was, stepping on to that Piccadilly ’bus. In about five seconds I found myself up on top, too, sitting on the seat behind her. I tell you, it must--"