“We?” he repeated. “Am I to have the pleasure,” with a slight wryness of the mouth, “of finding Mr. Vanderpoel also at Stornham?” “No--not yet. As I was on the spot, I saw your solicitors and asked their advice and approval--for my father. If he had known how necessary the work was, it would have been done before, for Ughtred's sake.” Her voice was that of a person who, in stating obvious facts, provides no approach to enlightening comment upon them. And there was in her manner the merest gracious impersonality. “Do I understand that Mr. Vanderpoel employed someone to visit the place and direct the work?” “It was really not difficult to direct. It was merely a matter of engaging labour and competent foremen.” An odd expression rose in his eyes. “You suggest a novel idea, upon my word,” he said. “Is it possible--you see I know something of America--is it possible I must thank YOU for the working of this magic?” “You need not thank me,” she said, rather slowly, because it was necessary that she also should think of many things at once. “I could not have helped doing it.” She wished to make all clear to him before he met Rosy. She knew it was not unnatural that the unexpectedness of his appearance might deprive Lady Anstruthers of presence of mind. Instinct told her that what was needed in intercourse with him was, above all things, presence of mind. “I will tell you about it,” she said. “We will walk slowly up and down here, if you do not object.” He did not object. He wanted to hear the story as he could not hear it from his nervous little fool of a wife, who would be frightened into forgetting things and their sequence. What he meant to discover was where he stood in the matter--where his father-in-law stood, and, rather specially, to have a chance to sum up the weaknesses and strengths of the new arrival. That would be to his interest. In talking this thing over she would unconsciously reveal how much vanity or emotion or inexperience he might count upon as factors safe to use in one's dealings with her in the future.