Ruth's dark gray eyes shot a sudden surprised glance at him. People had seldom of late inquired after Raymond. "I believe he is quite well," she replied, in a constrained tone. "I have not heard from him for some time." "It is some years since I met him," said Charles, noting but ignoring her change of tone. "I used to see a good deal of him before he went to--was it America? I heard from him about three years ago. He was prospecting, I think, at that time." Ruth remembered that Charles had succeeded his father about three years ago. She remembered also Raymond's capacities for borrowing. A sudden instinct told her what the drift of that letter had been. The blood rushed into her face. "Oh, he didn't--did he?" The other three people were talking together; Lady Mary, opposite, was joining with a bland smile of inward satisfaction in the discussion between Ralph and Evelyn as to the rival merits of "Cochin Chinas" and "Plymouth Rocks." "If he did," said Charles, quietly, "it was only what we had often done for each other before. There was a time, Miss Deyncourt, when your brother and I both rowed in the same boat; and both, I fancy, split on the same rock. It was not so long since--" There was a sudden silence. The chicken question was exhausted. It dropped dead. Charles left his sentence unfinished, and, turning to his brother, the conversation became general. * * * * * In the evening, when the others had said good-night, Charles and Ralph went out into the cool half-darkness to smoke, and paced up and down on the lawn in the soft summer night. The two brothers had not met for some time, and in an undemonstrative way they had a genuine affection for each other, which showed itself on this occasion in walking about together without exchanging a word. At last Charles broke the silence. "I thought, when I settled to come down here, you said you would be alone!" There was a shade of annoyance in his tone. "Well, now, that is just what I said at the time," said Ralph, sleepily, with a yawn that would have accommodated a Jonah, "only I was told I did not understand. They always say I don't understand if they're set on anything. I thought you wanted a little peace and quietness. I said so; but Aunt Mary settled we must have some one. I say, Charles," with a chuckle of deep masculine cunning, "you just look out. There's some mystery up about Ruth. I believe Aunt Mary got Evelyn to ask her here with an eye to business." "I would not do Aunt Mary the injustice to doubt _that_ for a moment," replied Charles, rather bitterly; and they relapsed into silence and smoke. Presently Ralph, who had been out all day, yawned himself into the house, and left Charles to pace up and down by himself.