'That child is up to something,' opined Lady Blixworth, after a week or two of this; and one day, at her own house, she kept Peggy back and took her firmly by the shoulders. 'What is it you want?' she asked squarely. 'Why have you been going to the Moresby-Jenkinses' and the Eli-Simpkinsons', and places of that sort?' Peggy looked at her with a shrewd kindness, weighing the advantages of still more candour. 'I want to meet Mr. Fricker,' she confessed at last. 'That means you're in communication with Trix?' An inspiration came upon her. 'Heavens, I believe she's living with you!' 'Yes, she is. She said I might tell you if I liked, though she doesn't want it generally known. But can you help me to meet Mr. Fricker?' 'Are you Trix's ambassador?' 'No, no. She knows nothing about it. She'd be furious.' Lady Blixworth released her manual hold of her prisoner and sat down, but she kept a detaining eye on her. 'Are you going to throw yourself at Fricker's feet, and ask him to give Trix's money back?' 'Do you know about----?' 'Yes, Lord Barmouth told me; and very much I've enjoyed keeping it to myself. I can feel for Trix; but if you want a lesson, my dear, it's this--the world isn't everybody's football. You won't do any good by clasping Fricker's knees, however pretty you may look.' 'Haven't the least intention of it,' said Peggy coolly. 'I shall go purely on a business footing.' She paused a minute. 'Trix sent you her love, and would like to see you in a little while.' 'I'll write to her from Barslett.' Lady Blixworth smiled reflectively. 'And about Mr. Fricker?' 'It's a business matter--ask him for an appointment.' 'I never thought of that,' said Peggy, ignoring the irony. 'That's the simplest thing, isn't it?' 'Really I believe, the way you'll do it, it'll be the best. And you might try the knees, perhaps, after all. He's got a heart, I suppose, and an ugly wife, I know. So he must be accessible.' 'You're quite wrong in that idea,' persisted Peggy. 'Of course you could get a card for something where he'd be easily enough, but----' 'The appointment for me! Thanks so much, Lady Blixworth. Without your advice I should have been afraid.' 'Give Trix my love, and tell her I think she deserves it all.' 'You don't know what a state she's in,' urged Peggy reproachfully. 'A thoroughly unscrupulous woman--and, bad as times are, I'd have given a hundred pounds to see her shove Lord Barmouth out of the way and skedaddle down that road.' 'You'd be nice to her, but everybody else is horrid.' 'She deserves it all,' was Lady Blixworth's inexorable verdict. Peggy looked at her with meditative eyes.