“What can have happened? It sounds like a renunciation as you describe it,” murmured Miss Carrington. “Kit has been strange lately. He walked about last night for ages. I tapped on his door and begged him to go to bed, but he only put on slippers and still prowled; it was really worse, for the padded sound is more annoying than a louder one. To-night at dinner he was absolutely silent and colourless. I was going to ask what was wrong, but reflected that a boy hates to have ill-health noticed. He can’t endure Mr. Lanbury; he was dining here, but it was more than that. I do wonder----” Miss Carrington stopped. “So did I, and so do I, Miss Carrington,” said Minerva. “It sort of looks---- Yet why? And you see little Anne Berkley comes into it there. Mr. Latham was gay till she came and what could she----?” Minerva talked with elisions. “Kit goes to the Berkleys’ a great deal, and that child misses very little that happens, or is said where she is,” commented Miss Carrington. “Minerva, I hope and pray that engagement is not broken! If it is--no matter if Helen is lost to him, Kit shall not marry a nobody, without family, money, beauty--beyond considerable sweet prettiness! He shall _not_!” “As to that, Miss Carrington, it’s hard to say what will happen in a world like this where promises mean nothing, and there’s no principle. Once I, myself, had the promise of a real nice-mannered man, and gave my own to him, but here I am and have been these twenty years gone! One thing more Mrs. Lumley told me: She said Mr. Latham had telegraphed Mr. Wilberforce to come on as quick’s he conveniently could.” “Mr. Wilberforce! It was he got that situation for Anne Dallas! It looks as though she might have seriously displeased Mr. Latham that he sends for the one responsible for her being there! Well, well, Minerva, I’m truly afraid that the engagement is broken.” Miss Carrington arose with a long sigh to put herself into Minerva’s hands to be made ready for the night. “Oh, there’s no mistake about it, Miss Carrington. Mrs. Lumley is a good deal of a lump, but when it comes to things like that, when she looks she sees, whether it’s behind blinds or close by. I thought you’d find comfort in Mr. Wilberforce’s coming, having the hope that Miss Dallas had done something she’d better not have done. Otherwise, I’m free to confess, I think the chance of your holding back Mr. Kit is pretty slender.” Minerva pulled her mistress’s shoulder snaps open viciously as she spoke. She was troubled by Miss Carrington’s recent failure in health, but she dearly liked to suggest that Kit might foil her. CHAPTER XXI _Wilberforce, the Painter_ Bibiana, little Anne’s former nurse, answered the telephone call. “This is Mr. Latham. May I speak to Miss Berkley?” said the voice at the other end of the wire. “Do you want Mrs. Paul, that was Miss Joan?” asked Bibiana.