"But she can be little more than a child," Beaumanoir protested. "Anyhow, I can’t keep a cousin of eighteen on as _my_ housekeeper without setting Mrs. Grundy’s tongue wagging. The question arises what to do with her. Old Pattison tells me she is well provided for, but I don’t like telling her to clear out if it does not occur to her to go. What sort is she, Alec?" "That’s rather a stiff question to put to _me_," Forsyth replied, as though to himself. "I had better make my confession first as last," he went on hurriedly. "You are her nearest relative now, and the head of her family. Ever since I first saw Sybil Hanbury the dearest wish of my heart has been to make her my wife, but without prospects of any kind I couldn’t very well ask her. There you have it, my noble patron, in a nutshell." Beaumanoir patted his friend’s knee affectionately. "My dear fellow, go in and win, so far as I am concerned," he said. "While I am above ground your prospects need stand in your way no longer. But you haven’t answered my question, which I’ll put in another way. How is she likely to take my appearance on the scene?" "I’m afraid she’s rather prejudiced. Her brother George didn’t love you much, you know, and she is greatly cut up by his loss," Forsyth replied, with the dogged manner of the honest man who has to say a disagreeable thing. "I don’t think that you need be under any apprehension about her staying on at Beaumanoir House when you show up. To be candid, I saw her yesterday, and she said she should begin packing as soon as she was sure that you hadn’t been drowned on the voyage home." "Good girl!" ejaculated the Duke. "The unexpressed hope did her much honor, only it’s a pity it didn’t come off. Now, Alec, if you’ll see her first—she needn’t see me at all if she doesn’t wish to—and tell her from me that she’s not to hurry out of the house, because I’m going to oscillate between Prior’s Tarrant and a hotel for the present, I shall be immensely obliged to you." "But you said just now that you were going to take possession." "I have changed my mind. There are reasons which I cannot explain to you why my immediate neighborhood is likely to be dangerous for the present. I should be sorry to subject my fair cousin to any unpleasantness. Though not a word of this to her or anyone else, please." The cab was drawing up before the ducal mansion, and Forsyth forbore to put into words the astonishment which he looked. As the two men were about to ascend the steps to the entrance, a landau, which was being driven slowly by, drew to the curb, and a lady who, besides the servants, was the sole occupant, called out: "Surely you’re not going to cut me, Mr. Forsyth. Too proud to know poor little me, eh, now that you’ve taken to calling on dukes?" A murmur of annoyance escaped Forsyth, but perforce he went to the carriage and shook the daintily gloved hand held out to him.