"It is your son," Mr. Sabin said quickly; "you need not mind. Leave me to explain. Tell me when I can find you at home alone?" "I am always alone," she answered. "But come to-morrow." CHAPTER XXIII MR. SABIN EXPLAINS Mr. Sabin and his niece had finished their dinner, and were lingering a little over an unusually luxurious dessert. Wolfenden had sent some muscatel grapes and peaches from the forcing houses at Deringham Hall--such peaches as Covent Garden could scarcely match, and certainly not excel. Mr. Sabin looked across at Helène as they were placed upon the table, with a significant smile. "An Englishman," he remarked, pouring himself out a glass of burgundy and drawing the cigarettes towards him, "never knows when he is beaten. As a national trait it is magnificent, in private life it is a little awkward." Helène had been sitting through the meal, still and statuesque in her black dinner gown, a little more pale than usual, and very silent. At Mr. Sabin's remark she looked up quickly. "Are you alluding to Lord Wolfenden?" she asked. Mr. Sabin lit his cigarette, and nodded through the mist of blue smoke. "To no less a person," he answered, with a shade of mockery in his tone. "I am beginning to find my guardianship no sinecure after all! Do you know, it never occurred to me, when we concluded our little arrangement, that I might have to exercise my authority against so ardent a suitor. You would have found his lordship hard to get rid of this morning, I am afraid, but for my opportune arrival." "By no means," she answered. "Lord Wolfenden is a gentleman, and he was not more persistent than he had a right to be." "Perhaps," Mr. Sabin remarked, "you would have been better pleased if I had not come?" "I am quite sure of it," she admitted; "but then it is so like you to arrive just at a crisis! Do you know, I can't help fancying that there is something theatrical about your comings and goings! You appear--and one looks for a curtain and a tableau. Where could you have dropped from this morning?" "From Cromer, in a donkey-cart," he answered smiling. "I got as far as Peterborough last night, and came on here by the first train. There was nothing very melodramatic about that, surely!" "It does not sound so, certainly. Your playing golf with Lord Wolfenden afterwards was commonplace enough!" "I found Lord Wolfenden very interesting," Mr. Sabin said thoughtfully. "He told me a good deal which was important for me to know. I am hoping that to-night he will tell me more." "To-night! Is he coming here?" Mr. Sabin assented calmly. "Yes. I thought you would be surprised. But then you need not see him, you know. I met him riding upon the sands this afternoon--at rather an awkward moment, by the bye--and asked him to dine with us." "He refused, of course?" "Only the dinner; presumably he doubted our cook, for he asked to be allowed to come down afterwards. He will be here soon." "Why did you ask him?"