'Mr. Howarth, I have asked you to come here in order to tell you that any sentimental understanding which may have existed between Edith and yourself is, henceforward, at an end.' I essayed to speak; she stopped me. 'I know what you are going to say. I've heard it over and over again. What I say is this. Edith is getting on. You certainly are no longer young; you are going both bald and grey. Financially, you are worse off than when I first knew you. Isn't that the case?' 'It is.' 'You have absolutely no prospects.' Reggie struck in. 'O aunt, come! If he's hard up it's only because I owe him such a heap. There's no doubt whatever that Twickenham's dead. We only have to prove it to be both of us in clover.' 'Twickenham is not dead. During the last few nights I've seen him several times.' 'You've seen Twickenham?' 'In dreams. I could not quite make out where he was, but he was in some extraordinary situation, from which you will find that he will presently emerge. It is no use your counting on his death. He's alive. Twickenham is not the kind of man who dies easily.' 'I thought dreams went by contraries.' 'Not such dreams as I have had.' She turned to me with a question which took me aback. 'Don't you know that he's alive?' 'My dear Lady Desmond!' 'You do know that he's alive; and I know you know. I don't want any discussion; you will only fence and quibble. But I appeal to you as a man of honour not to stand in the way of Edith's happiness.' 'That I undertake at once not to do.' 'Mother, hadn't you better tell Douglas that you wish me to marry Colonel Foljambe, and that's your idea of my happiness?' 'Colonel Foljambe is a very worthy gentleman.' 'If he isn't now,' I said,' he never will be.' 'He's not much older than you are.' That was monstrous. Foljambe had turned seventy. But I let her go on. 'Then there's Reggie and that sister of yours. Violet Howarth's a sensible girl. She can do very well for herself if she likes, and she knows that she never will do anything at all with Reggie. The probabilities are that when Twickenham does return, it will be with a wife and family at his heels.' 'Leaving that eventuality out of the question, I am instructed by Violet to say that Reggie is at perfect liberty to do as he likes. So far as she is concerned she is quite willing to consider the engagement at an end.' 'That's Vi all over. She'd cut off her hand and throw it into the fire if she thought it would do me good. But I don't happen to be taking any; and I'll go straight from here and tell her so. It's all nonsense about Twickenham's being alive; he's as dead as that is.' He rapped his knuckle against the table. His aunt leant over the board. 'Reggie, he's alive. Miss Sandford is right.' 'Miss Sandford?' 'Miss Sandford sees things which we don't see, and she knows things which we don't know. But now I've seen things, and I know. And what's more, Mr. Howarth knows too.'