At these words, which raised a fresh issue, and were met with a torrent of incoherent words from the young baronet, and with murmurs from the rest of the men, the ladies in the room, who had most of them drawn away from the crowd of angry men, and gathered in a knot in a corner, whispered to each other and made towards the door. Harry Van Santen, who perceived this movement, hastened to open the door, saying in a low voice to the most important lady of the group-- “Yes, that’s right. This is no scene for you ladies. The fellow’s drunk.” He shut the door when they had all gone out, and returned to the card-table, where three or four of the men were now with difficulty holding Sir William back from a personal assault upon Denver whose calmly contemptuous attitude and tone were irritating him to madness. The uproar continued, and indeed grew worse, as excited partisans on either side tried to outshout the rest. In the midst of the noise and the turbulent movements of the crowd of men a figure flitted lightly past Gerard, followed immediately by another; and Delia and Miss Davison, the former leading, the other following close behind, made their way into the group with the authority born of combined intelligence and experience, and at once found a hearing. “Gentlemen,” said Delia, “this scene is very distressing, and not one of you can make himself heard or understood if you all speak at once. Will you separate for a time, and all think calmly over what has happened--or has not happened--and then come together to discuss the matter like reasonable persons? If not for your own sakes, I think you will do so for my mother’s and for ours, will you not?” Manner, voice, tone, all were perfect, and one after another the men fell back, acknowledging the justice of her speech, and willing to obey her suggestion. Sir William alone of the visitors was obdurate. While Denver merely retreated a few steps, and then threw himself with an air of insolent defiance on a sofa, the baronet maintained his position in the middle of the room, and poured forth his woes as incoherently and volubly as ever. He paid no heed to Delia, who looked at Miss Davison with a little gesture of despair. Then Rachel came up to Sir William, and laying her hand on his sleeve, said gently-- “Don’t you think, Sir William, you had better talk this over quietly with someone--with me, if you like? And I will listen to all you have to say, and will do anything I can to put the matter right.” “You can’t put it right. I beg your pardon, Miss Davison, but really this isn’t a thing I can discuss with a lady. I’ve been che--” “Oh, hush, hush! Think what you’re saying.” “I’ve been cheated, I say. I’m sorry to have had to make a disturbance, but it doesn’t alter the fact that--” “For the sake of the ladies of the family, won’t you be reasonable? Wait a little; calm down a little, and then hear what there is to be said on the other side.”