"Has it only just come?" he said. "Why, it ought to have been delivered nearly a week ago. Gee and Vincent are not usually such dilatory people. I must row them up over it." "Oh, please don't," said Delia. "Why should you take any further trouble about it? You have been too kind already." "No, no," he laughed. "By the way, it was just as Perrin said. The gnu must have jumped the palings of the west park. There was no gap or breakdown anywhere." "Really? But--tell me. Was the Squire very angry?" "Not he. He was relieved to hear you had escaped uninjured. You are none the worse, are you? It was to ascertain that that I took the liberty of calling." "How kind of you again," she answered, with a lustrous softness in her eyes that was not studied, and wonderfully attractive. "No; I am not one atom the worse." "Another thing has been on my conscience ever since, Miss Calmour; and that is, that I should have allowed you to walk all that way home. I ought to have insisted upon your coming on to the Court with me and driving back." "Oh, but you did try and persuade me, remember; it wasn't your fault at all. Shall I tell you something, Mr Wagram? I believe the secret of my holding out was that I was more than a little afraid to face the Squire after what had happened." As a matter of fact, Delia had repented her refusal ever since. Such an opportunity might never recur; and, apart from that, it would have been so much more time to look back to and dwell upon. "You needn't have been. It was a pity," he answered. "Yes. And I hear you have some beautiful things at the Court, Mr Wagram--pictures and old relics and all that," she added half shyly, as the consciousness flashed in upon her that he would take her remark as a direct "fishing" for an invite to come and see them--a misgiving which would not have afflicted her in the slightest degree had he been anybody else in the world. But at that moment the door opened, admitting Clytie, who had returned from a fictitious search for her parent, combined with a renewed command to the retired Bob on no account to show himself, on pain of such disabilities as it was within her power to place him under. "I can't find father anywhere," she said. "He must have gone out without telling us. But he may be back any moment now. Oh, that's my typing work, Mr Wagram," following his glance. "I'm afraid you'll think us very untidy. It really has no business littering about in here, but I brought it in because the light is better." As a matter of fact, she had hurriedly brought it in before going to answer his ring--and that with a purpose. "Ah yes. Ladies have taken to that sort of thing a good deal, I'm told. Do you do much of it?" "Not so much as I should like; only as much as I can get," laughed Clytie. "We have to do these things--and it all helps." "And very right and plucky it is of you to do it," he answered.