"Wait a moment, Vin," she said, regarding the young man. "If you wish it—if you prefer it—I have seen nothing." "What do you mean, aunt!" he said, with some haughty inclination to anger. "Why should I seek any concealment? I want you to come along that I may introduce to you two friends of mine." Instinctively she seemed to draw back a little—almost as if she were afraid. "Oh, no, thanks, Vin. No, thanks. Please leave me out." "Why?" he demanded. The pretty young widow was embarrassed and troubled; for she knew the fiery nature of young men; and did not want to provoke any quarrel by an unguarded expression. "Well—it is simply this, you know—they are strangers—I mean—I suppose that neither your father nor any of the family have met them—they seemed somehow like strangers—unusual looking—and—and I shouldn’t like to be the first. Leave me out, there’s a good boy!" "Why?" he demanded again. So she was driven to confession. "Well, look here, Vin; I may be wrong; but aren’t these new friends somehow connected with your being so much away from home of late—with your being in those lodgings? Was it there you made their acquaintance?" "If you want to know, I saw them first at Lord Musselburgh’s," said he with an amazing audacity; for although the statement was literally true, it was entirely misleading. And apparently it staggered the pleasant-eyed young widow. "Oh, at Lord Musselburgh’s?" said she, with a distinct (but cautious) change of manner. "Oh, really. Lord Musselburgh’s. But why should you want to introduce me to them, Vin?" "Because," said he, "they have never met any member of our family: and as you are the most goodnatured and the prettiest, I want to produce a favourable impression at the outset." She laughed and was not displeased. "There are some other qualities that seem to characterise our family—impudence for one," she observed. "Well, come along, then, Vin: where are your friends?" "In a house-boat down there—the _White Rose_." "The _White Rose_? I noticed it yesterday—very pretty—whose is it?" "Mine for the present; I rented it for the week," he replied. "Who are the other members of your party?" "None—only those two." But here she paused at the top of the steps; and said in an undertone— "Really, Vin, this is too much! You, a young man entertaining those two—and no lady chaperon—" He turned and looked at her, with straight eyes. "Oh, it’s quite right," she said, hastily. "It’s quite right, of course—but—but so much _en évidence_—so prominent—people might talk—" "I never try to hinder people from talking," said he, with a certain scorn. "And if they busy themselves with my small affairs, they are welcome to ring their discoveries from the tops of the steeples. I did not ask anybody’s permission when I invited two friends of mine, who had never been to Henley before, to be my guests during the regatta-week."