Allan had arranged a luncheon-party for the following day. His courage had failed at the idea of a dinner: the lengthy ceremonial, the fear of failure if he demanded too much of his cook, the long blank space after dinner, with its possibility of ennui. Luncheon was a friendlier meal, and would less heavily tax the resources of a bachelor's establishment; and then there was the chance of being able to wander about the garden with Suzette in the afternoon, the hope of keeping her and her father till teatime, when the other people had gone home; though people do not disperse so speedily after a country luncheon as in town, and it might be that everybody would stop to tea. No matter, if he could steal away with Suzette to look at the single dahlias, in the west garden, fenced off from the lawn by a high laurel hedge, leaving Lady Emily and Mrs. Mornington to entertain his guests. He had asked Mr. and Mrs. Mornington, General Vincent and his daughter, Mr. Edgefield, the Vicar, and his daughter Bessie (Suzette's antagonist at golf), Mr. and Mrs. Roebuck, a youngish couple, who prided themselves on being essentially of the great world, towny, cosmopolitan, anything but rustic, and who insisted on talking exclusively of London and the Riviera to people who rarely left their native gardens and paddocks. Mr. Roebuck had been officiously civil to Allan, and he had felt constrained to invite him. The invitation was on Mrs. Mornington's principle of payment for value received. Allan had invited Mrs. Wornock; he had even pressed her to be of the party, but she had refused. "I don't care for society," she said. "I am out of my element among smart people." "There will be very little smartness--only the Roebucks, and one may say of them as Beatrice said of Benedick, 'It is a wonder _they_ will still be talking, for nobody minds _them_.' Seriously now, Mrs. Wornock, I should like you to meet my father." "You are very kind, but you must excuse me. Don't think me rude or ungrateful." "Ungrateful! Why, it is I who ask a favour." "But I am grateful for your kindness in wishing to have me at your house. I will go there some day with Suzette, when you are quite alone, and you shall show me the Mandarin-room." "That is too good of you. Mind, I shall exact the performance of that promise. You are very fond of Suzette, I think, Mrs. Wornock?" "Yes, I am very fond of her. She is the only girl with whom I have ever felt in sympathy; just as you are the only young man, except my son, for whom I have ever cared." "You link us together in your thoughts." "I do, Allan," she answered gravely, "and I hoped to see you linked by-and-by in a lifelong union." "That is my own fondest hope," he said. "How did you discover my secret?" "Your secret! My dear Allan, I have known that you were in love with Suzette almost from the first time I saw you together--yes, even that afternoon at the Grove."