“Markedly, most markedly. It is very strange that I cannot give you a more accurate account of our interview; but he addled my head about pictures and early art; and then, though always temperate, his wine was exquisite. In fact, I carried away a most confused impression of all that took place between us.” “You remember, however, the arrangements that were settled on, What were they?” “The great point of all, the one you insisted on, I was, I may say, peremptory upon.” “Which was that?” “That she should not come abroad; as I said to Sir Within: ‘We must negotiate on this basis; here is Miss Courtenay’s letter, these are her words;’ and I showed him the turn-down, only the turndown, of your note.” Had there been light enough to remark it, Mr. M’Kinlay would have seen that Miss Courtenay’s face became deadly pale, and her lips trembled with repressed anger. “Well, and then?” said she, with a faint voice. “He cut the Gordian knot at once, my dear Miss Courtenay,” continued he, in a sort of sprightly tone; “he said, ‘There need be no difficulty in the matter. I can act here _ex-officio_;’ he meant by that he was her guardian. ‘I will write to her,’ said he, ‘and if she prefers to remain here----’” “Remain where?” gasped she out, with a great effort to seem calm and composed. “At Dalradern Castle, at his own house; if she likes this better than a Paris pension, or an Irish cabin, it is quite at her service.” “But, of course, you replied the thing was impossible; such an arrangement couldn’t be. It would be indelicate, improper, indecent?” “I didn’t say all that; but I hinted that as Sir Within was a bachelor, there were difficulties----” “Difficulties, Sir! What do you mean by difficulties? Is it possible that one evening’s companionship with a person hardened by a long life of ‘libertinage’ can have so warped your moral sense as to render you blind to so obvious a shame as this?” “He said his housekeeper----” “His housekeeper! Am I to believe, Sir, that you listened to all this with the patience with which you repeat it now, and that no feeling of propriety roused you to an indignant rejection of such a scheme? Was his Claret or his Burgundy so insinuating as this?” “When he said housekeeper----” “Pray, Sir, do not push my endurance beyond all limits. I have given a very wide margin for the influence of Sir Within’s fascinations; but, bear in mind, that the magnetism of his wit and his wine has not extended to me.” “If you want to imply, Miss Courtenay, that I was not in a condition to judge of----.” “Mr. M’Kinlay, I say nothing at any time by implication. People are prone to call me too outspoken. What I say and what I mean to say is this, that I cannot imagine a person of your intelligence calmly listening to and concurring in such a project.”