"I'm most awfully sorry for bolting like that, but it was important," he said, in tones of would-be friendly frankness. With that he turned to shut the dog out. "Oh, let her come in, poor old girl! What has she done to be shut out?" cried Virgie, sitting on her heels upon the floor. "I--I don't think your cats like her," he replied, hesitating. "Well, I never! They will have to like her. If they are to live in the same house, they must be friends," was the quick retort. "Grim, Grim, poor old girl, come here then!" Grim, more perceptive than her master, was quick to perceive the invitation in the sweet voice, and came bounding into the circle of firelight. Damian sat up and spat, his back an arch, his tail a column. Virgie flung her arms round Grim's handsome neck and hugged her. "Don't you take a bit of notice of that cheeky kitten, my dear. If he doesn't like you, he can lump you. This was your house, long before he was born or thought of," she said, petting the collie till her tail thumped the ground with ecstasy; her tongue hung out and she slobbered with utter content. "Osbert," said Virgie calmly, "there's a sheepskin mat out in the hall that would just do for her beside the fire here in the corner. If that is her place, the cats will very soon recognise it. Will you go and fetch it in for me, please?" "But"--he paused--"this is your room, isn't it? and Grim's a big dog. Her place is in my den." "Oh, she'll very soon find out where the warmest corner is, won't you, girl?" laughed Virgie. "Even if _you_ won't come into my room, I'll warrant she will! Unless"--with a daring glance--"you mean us to have separate establishments, even to the dogs and cats?" He began to speak, halted, then said quietly enough: "I want you to have things as you like. I think you know that, really." "Then this poor old thing shall come in just whenever she wants to," said Virgie, holding the golden muzzle in her hand, and kissing the white star upon the dog's forehead. Gaunt, watching, made a note of the exact spot. CHAPTER XXVII LUNCH AT PERLEY HATCH "_Shall I not one day remember thy bower, One day when all days are one day to me? Thinking, 'I stirred not, and yet had the power!' Yearning, 'Ah, God, if again it might be!'_"--D. G. Rossetti. "You're not the sort to bet on, Percy," remarked Joey Ferris. "What have you been filling me up with? You came home here, saying you could put me wise about the Gaunt marriage, and that the whole thing was going phut, and she wasn't coming back to him!" "Well!" "Well, you're off the rails this time, old man. She came home on Wednesday, and this morning I had a note from her to say she would call for me in the car this afternoon, and take me over to Omberleigh to tea." "Jove though!" Ferris stood stock still in his astonishment. "You're kidding, Joey?" "Wish I may die," was the chaste rejoinder. Ferris turned things rapidly over in his mind. "Did you go?" he asked at length.