"Here’s your tea, Nand;" and Mercy handed it me with a glance, asking for forgiveness. I accepted the tea and the situation, as I do most good things in this world, complacently. "What advice do you want?" "I want to know whether you think it would be quite a safe thing for Mercy to go to Madrid for a time, say—a month or two hence?" Mercy looked down at the tea cups and laughed. I appeared to consider. "Yes," I said, slowly. "Yes; but I am afraid my father is not contemplating a trip of the kind. You see, his health is not of the best, and his engagements—" I was interrupted by a peal of laughter from the widow. "You are the drollest creature!" she cried. "Who said anything about Lord Glisfoyle?" "I don’t fancy Cello has much notion of going out either—at least, not yet," and I pointed this with a look. "And you see, Mercy could hardly come out to me alone." "Mercy, I do believe he’ll make a diplomatist after all. He talks that nonsense with such a perfectly solemn face," exclaimed Mrs. Curwen. "I suppose, Mr. Ferdinand, you haven’t the ghost of an idea what I mean, have you? or what we’ve been planning." "How could I? But if you have any idea of Mercy coming out to Madrid with anyone but my father or Cello, I should say at once it would be quite unsafe, and quite impracticable. There are a hundred reasons; but one’s enough—the equivocal position of the whole Spanish question, owing to the unsettled relations with America." "Nand, you’re incorrigible," cried Mercy; but Mrs. Curwen laughed and clapped her hands, for both saw the double meaning of my words. "I think that’s most lovely. Let me get that sentence—’the equivocal position of the whole Spanish question, owing to the unsettled relations with America’! And then say he won’t make a diplomatist! Well, you must know that Mercy and I have already got our plans fixed up. She’s going out with me. I suppose I can do as I like. And if I take a sudden fancy to go to Madrid, I suppose I may go. And if I can’t go alone, I suppose I may take Mercy with me. At any rate, that’s what I’m going to do. I take Mercy’s part in this, and agree that it’s horrid you should be packed off out of the country and away from her and all your friends in this way, and that it’s only right and proper that you should have your sister out just to show people that you’re not an Ishmaelite among your own kith and kin. And as she must have someone to look after her, I’m going too. I can’t do less than that for my dearest friend." "I’m sure Mercy is happy to have such a friend, Mrs. Curwen, but——" I hesitated, and before I resumed, the door opened and Lascelles came in. This was genuinely unexpected by us all, and apparently none too agreeable to my brother, who stopped with a frown on his long, narrow face. But Mrs. Curwen was equal to the occasion. "Here is another surprise. Do come in, Mr. Carbonnell, and hear all our plans."