I saw Sir Archibald's eyes rest on it for a second, but the moment he realised the name he almost consciously averted his glance from the envelope for the remainder of the meal. Virginia was very lively. 'Well, now, Sir Archibald, I'm going to hear your catechism after lunch; it's a good occupation for Sunday afternoon,' she said. 'You'll come right into the coffee-room, and recite it to me, and Miss Evesham shall correct your mistakes.' 'I'll try to acquit myself well,' he answered, following her meekly into the coffee-room. 'What is your name?' she began. 'Archibald George,' he replied, and Virginia went on:-- 'I'll invent the rest of the questions, I think, so please answer them well. How old are you?' 'Thirty-one years and two months.' 'Have you any profession?' 'None.' 'Pursuits?' 'Various.' 'Name these.' 'Motoring, bicycling, shooting, fishing.' 'That will do; you may sit down,' observed Virginia gravely, and then, turning to me, 'I think the young man has acquitted himself very creditably in this difficult exam. Miss Evesham, shall we give him a certificate?' 'Yes,' I replied, laughing at her nonsense. Virginia wrote out on a sheet of paper:-- This is to certify that Sir Archibald Maxwell Mackenzie passed a creditable examination in Pedigree and Pursuits. (Signed) VIRGINIA S. POMEROY. 'Here,' she said, folding it up and giving it to the young man, 'you should keep this among the proudest archives of your house.' Sir Archibald put it into his pocket with a funny little smile. 'It shall have the greatest care always,' he assured her. 'And now, Miss Pomeroy, won't you and Miss Evesham come and have a game of billiards with me? I must relax my mind after all this effort.' I knew that I should not consent to this proposition; Virginia knew that she should not; we both hesitated for a moment, and then Virginia, with a glance at the storm outside, made a compromise in favour of decorum. 'Well, there doesn't seem to be much else to do this wet afternoon,' she said. 'I don't care if I do come and see how well you play, Sir Archibald, and perhaps Miss Evesham will come and applaud also.' I didn't see much difference between playing ourselves and seeing him play, but perhaps there was a little. 'I'll fetch my banjo,' proposed Virginia, 'and I can sing while you have your game.' So to the billiard-room we went, and Virginia perched herself in a window niche. From this point of vantage she watched Sir Archibald's strokes, while she strummed away on the instrument, and sang delicious little songs in her clear, bird-like voice. I watched them both closely. Sir Archibald was not attending to his play; I saw that he was thinking far more about her. 'Won't you even chalk my cue for me?' he asked her, holding out the chalk. She received it daintily between her finger and thumb. He stood beside us, looking down at her in the unmistakable way; he was falling in love, but he scarcely knew it.