Her eyes were so large and scornful and her voice held so satirical an intonation that I interposed. “Claire’s young cousins are very anxious to get up some theatricals and to take advantage of having that young fellow here--Patch--to do some writing for them. They’re working up something musical.” “Delightful, indeed,” said Lady Annabel in a severe and melancholy voice. “And is there much musical talent hereabouts?” “Sallie Ambrey sings rather nicely, and Mrs. Fazackerly is really musical--she is adapting Captain Patch’s libretto--and then there are one or two others.” “Let me warn you--” began Lady Annabel. She suddenly glanced to the right and to the left of our not very large drawing-room as though we might be suspected of having concealed one of the servants behind a bookcase. Then she sank her always low voice to a pitch that was all but a whisper and most impressive. “You understand that I am speaking in the utmost confidence? It must never go beyond the walls of this room”--we all three instinctively gazed with deep distrust at the walls--“I’m not thinking of myself, but of what it might do for the Rector if it got round that I had said anything about one of his people--you understand what I mean--in the Rector’s position--” Of course I said at once that I quite understood what she meant, although one couldn’t help feeling that this was one of the moments when Lady Annabel was perhaps confusing the Rector with “H. E.,” the late Sir Hannabuss Tallboys. (We have all learned to think of him as “H. E.”) Claire did not join in my protestations. I judged from her expression that she was, once more, living upon the edge of a volcano. “Absolutely between ourselves, I should very strongly advise you not to let anyone suggest that the young woman whom I most mistakenly allowed to sing at the concert the other night--Mrs. Harter--should be asked to perform. I should think it most inadvisable.” “May I ask why?” Lady Annabel looked distressed. “You do understand that I am speaking entirely unofficially?” Not only did we understand, but, personally, I really did not see how she could speak in any other way.