"There is no limit to what people of brilliant and vivid imagination may not suppose," said he. She could not help smiling at her own defeat. His refusals to give direct answers were so very silken. "And the truth always exceeds one's imagination, does it not?" she said. "It is usually different from it," observed he. This would not do. She tried something else. "And Thurso?" she said. "How do you think he is?" Villars looked at her in bland surprise. "Very well, surely, is he not?" he said. "Why should you think otherwise?" "Only something I heard about his calling at a chemist's and racing home afterwards." "Indeed!" said Villars. Lady Swindon was afraid there was no more to be got there, and he handed her into her launch. "But I am so glad, so very glad you think he is well," she said. "Do come and spend a Sunday with us some week. I will try to get Catherine to come and meet you." He murmured gratitude of the non-committal sort, and stood a little while looking after her launch, which sped like an arrow up-stream, raising a two-foot wave in its wake, and nearly upset half a dozen boats in its passage. Then he strolled back to the lawn again. He had not the faintest intention of staying with Lady Swindon, but, on the other hand, he did not at all desire to be on bad terms with her, for, little as he respected her, he had a profound respect for her supreme mischief-making capabilities. She had got hold of something about Thurso, too, and perhaps it was as well she had not seen him. In that case, his own bland assertion that he considered him very well would not have been of much use. Lady Swindon's departure had acted as a signal for a general move, and when Villars got back, Lady Thurso was just saying good-bye to the last of her guests. On the moment, the butler came out of the house and spoke to her. "His lordship begs that you and Lady Maud will go to his room for a moment as soon as you are disengaged, my lady," he said. "Tell his lordship we will come immediately. Ah, Count Villars, we were going on the river, were we not? Could you wait a few minutes? Thurso wants to see me about something." Maud joined her, and they went together to Thurso's sitting-room at the end of the house. He was sitting at his table in the window, and, with his usual courtesy, got up as they entered. On the table in front of him stood a bottle of dark blue glass. He had just finished unpacking this as they entered, and threw the corrugated paper in which it had been wrapped into the waste-paper basket. "A cigarette, Catherine?" he said, offering her one. "I want a few minutes' talk with you both." She took one, and he waited till she had lit it, and sat down. "Maud tells me," he said, "that you and she undid a package that arrived here this afternoon addressed to me, and threw it away. That is so, I believe?" She did not answer--it seemed unnecessary--and he raised his voice a little. "Will you kindly say whether that is so?" he said.