"Beg pardon for hinterrupting, Miss," she observed apologetically, "but it's time you was startin' to change." "Quite right, Jane," said Molly. She turned to Tony and held out her hand. "Well, thanks for coming and looking me up, Tony," she added. "See you again quite soon, I hope." Tony raised her hand and kissed the tip of her fingers. "Why, yes," he said; "we'll probably run across each other before long." * * * * * * * It was just twenty minutes later when Lady Jocelyn's pretty parlourmaid opened the door of the drawing-room at Chester Square, and in a slightly agitated voice, for such a well trained retainer, announced the arrival of Sir Antony Conway. Tony, who had followed hard upon her heels, came straight up to the sofa, where, as usual, his aunt was sitting. She looked older and very frail, and her thin hands trembled a little as she stretched them to greet him. "Tony!" she exclaimed, "my dear boy!" He sat down beside her, holding her hands in his. "Aunt Fanny," he said severely; "you have been breaking my rules. You know that you're never allowed to look unhappy or worried." "It wasn't altogether my fault it happened, Tony," she said. "I would have given my stupid useless old life twice over to have stopped it." In a tender, half jesting fashion he slipped his arm round her. "You mustn't talk like that, Aunt Fanny dear," he said. "In fact you mustn't talk at all. You must just sit still and listen to me. There is no time for anything else." Lady Jocelyn clasped her hands in her lap. "Go on," she said quietly. All the way from the Gaiety to the house, Tony had been pondering in his mind just how much of the truth it would be advisable to tell. Knowing his aunt, he was not afraid that she would try to dissuade him from his purpose, however dangerous it might appear; he was merely anxious to present it in as favourable a light as possible, so as to spare her any avoidable anxiety. With this idea he omitted all reference to the attempt upon the _Betty_, confining himself entirely to a description of Congosta's visit. He repeated the latter's story of what had happened to Isabel, and went on to relate how the plan for a possible rescue had been promptly and happily conceived. By means of a little judicious colouring he was able to make it appear a far more feasible proposition than when it had originally presented itself in the hall of Goodman's Rest. Of his subsequent visit to the Gaiety he said nothing at all. Molly's presence on board the _Betty_ in the guise of a curate might or might not be of assistance, but from the point of view of inspiring confidence in the enterprise, it seemed to be one of those features which were better suppressed.