Mr. Brooke-Hoskyn’s nurse happened to pass at the moment on her way into the house. The Lady stopped her. "Ah, yes." Mrs. Poskett and the Admiral had sunk in helpless surprise on the bench under the elm. The Lady turned to them. "The father and mother, I suppose?" Mrs. Poskett and the Admiral started apart, as if they had been shocked by a galvanic battery. Mrs. Poskett uttered an indignant scream; the Admiral could only gasp, "Gobblessmysoul!" Mr. Brooke-Hoskyn, purple in the face, came clucking down. "This, ma’am, is my youngest. The youngest of four—at present." The Lady looked him up and down. "I will give your wife instructions about their management—" Mr. Brooke-Hoskyn danced with rage. "You’ll—haha!—She’ll teach Selina!—Hoho!—Oh, that’s good!" But the Lady had caught sight of Marjolaine, who with Barbara was standing by the Gazebo. Both young ladies, I regret to say, were laughing immoderately. Brushing the Admiral aside, she sailed imposingly across to them and addressed Marjolaine, who was by this time looking demure, and overdoing it. "What do I see?" said the Lady severely, examining Marjolaine through her glasses. "Curls? At your age, curls? Fie!" Then shaking a lank finger at her, "Mind! your hair must be quite straight when next I come." To the delight of the Walk Marjolaine made a pretty and submissive curtsey, and answered, "Yes, ma’am; but don’t come again in a hurry. Give me lots and lots of time!" Meanwhile Mrs. Poskett and Ruth had been urging the Admiral on. Now he approached the Lady in his quarter-deck manner, and said, "Madam—hum—we give alms, and we do not take advice. You ’re on the wrong tack. You ’re out of your reckoning." Then, pointing grandly to the only entrance to the Walk, "That is your course for Pomander Lane." "Yes," said Brooke-Hoskyn, with the same action, "That!" "Yes," said all the ladies, pointing melodramatically to the corner, "That!" "Jim," ordered the Admiral, "pilot the lady out." "Ay, ay, sir." The Lady eyed them all in turn through her _face-à-main_. "Very well," she said, with magnificent scorn. "I was told I should have difficulty here. I was told you only go to church twice on Sundays. I did not expect to find you so bad as you are. I shall come again. I am not so easily beaten. I shall certainly come again!" In grim silence she gathered her skirts about her and departed as she had come, followed by the footman and the fat pug. When she had turned the corner the Walk once more indulged in a burst of laughter. "What a figure of fun!" cried Ruth. "I gave here her sailing orders—what?" chuckled the Admiral. And Mrs. Poskett gazed into his face with admiration. "What a wonderful man you are, Sir Peter!" When they had all recovered, Basil came to Marjolaine and eagerly reminded her it was high time for her singing-lesson. Marjolaine appealed to Barbara: "Maman told me to ask you to come with me."