The two men turned away. Not so Mrs. Emery. She was staring after the car in a fierce endeavor to focus her gaze on the interior. "Who was that man that jumped up so surprised to speak to Lydia?" "I didn't notice anybody," said the Judge. Dr. Melton spoke quickly. "Lydia's getting in a very nervous state, my friends; I want you to know that. This confounded life is too much for her." "She doesn't kill herself getting up in the morning," complained her father. "It is a month now since I've seen her at breakfast." "I don't _let_ her get up," said Mrs. Emery. "I guess if you'd been up till two every morning dancing split dances because you were _the_ belle of the season, you'd sleep late! Besides," she went on, "she'll be all right as soon as her engagement is announced. The excitement of that'll brace her up." "Good Lord! It's not more excitement she needs," began Dr. Melton; but they had reached the house, and Mrs. Emery, obviously preoccupied, pulled her husband quickly in, dismissing the doctor with a nod. She drew the Judge hurriedly into the hall, and, "It was that Rankin!" she cried, the slam of the door underscoring her words, "and _I_ believe Marius Melton knew he was going on that car and made Lydia late on purpose." Judge Emery was in the state in which of late the end of the day's work found him--overwhelmingly fatigued. He had not an ounce of superfluous energy to answer his wife's tocsin. "Well, what if it was?" he said. "They'll be an hour and a half together--alone--more alone than anywhere except on a desert island. Alone--an hour and a half!" "Oh, Susan! If Paul can't in three months make more headway than Rankin can tear down in an hour and a half--" She raged at him, revolted at the calmness with which he was unbuttoning his overcoat and unwinding his muffler, "You don't understand--_anything_! I'm not afraid she'll elope with him--Paul's got her too solid for that--Rankin probably won't say anything of _that_ kind! But he'll put notions in her head again--she's so impressionable. And she says queer things now, once in a while, if she's left alone a minute. She needs managing. She's not like that levelheaded, sensible Madeleine Hollister. Lydia has to be guided, and you don't see anything--you leave it all to me."