Was she really innocent or dissembling? He believed the latter, and looked at her with some genuine admiration for her subtlety. “O!” he said, “was that all? And, being in Julia’s chamber, to melt ‘melodious words to lutes of amber,’ I suppose?” “He played,” she answered. “Indeed, they both played.” “Both?” He laughed. “So his Highness came accompanied?” “O yes!” she said. “He would never have come alone.” “And who was his friend?” “One of mine.” “Ah! You will not tell me.” “Are you not interesting yourself a little too much in my personal affairs?” she said. She held out her hand coldly. “Good-night.” “Am I to go, then?” “No, I am. I am really dropping with sleep. Good-night, cousin.” He got up in a pet. “I am sorry my company has proved so fatiguing. There was a time when you could endure it with a better grace. But that was before your days of freedom and happiness.” And he strode out of the room, resisting a violent temptation to bang the door. But her ladyship stood looking after him rather piteously, and with tears sprung suddenly to her eyes. “I was so sorry, cousin,” she murmured, with a grievous sigh; “but I am afraid you are a bad man.” And outside, on the gravel under the moonlight, Master George, hurrying away, stopped to grind his vicious teeth. “_Has_ he stolen a march on me? And _who_ was the other?” For, you see, that problem of Kit was again disturbing his mind. CHAPTER XV Hamilton, making moodily for his quarters, took a somewhat deserted by-way, which led him shortly under a long covered passage connected with the stables. He had but entered this unlighted tunnel, when, aware of a couple of figures approaching its further end, he backed instinctively into the shadows, prepared, with the amiable humour of his kind, to detect an intrigue or surprise a secret. Therefrom peering, himself unseen, he saw the two, man and woman, stop in the moonlight at the mouth of the archway, where he could very clearly distinguish the identity of one of them, and almost as certainly guess that of the other. His ears pricked to catch their whispered confidences, but he was too far off to distinguish more than an inarticulate giggling murmur. And then there appeared to occur a little scuffle between the pair, and to the sound of a distinct smack the lady broke away and entered the passage alone. Obviously an attention of her cavalier’s having been promptly acknowledged by her, any further escort on his part had been peremptorily declined. He did not attempt, indeed, to follow, but standing alone in the moonlight a moment, holding his hand to his cheek, suddenly turned tail and vanished. The hooded lady came on, all unconscious of the watcher, and was nearing the point of emergence when Hamilton stepped across her path and barred her way. She gave a small, irrepressible squeak, and stood stock still. “Come,” he said; “let us see what little Tib is after her Tom this amorous night.”