The frank impertinence of his manner and of his suggestion almost frightened Audrey. It seemed to betray the fact that he looked upon her as unworthy of much trouble, and as wholly incapable of producing any effect upon his father. He seemed to say in effect: “If you like to see my father you can, but you may just as well save yourself the trouble.” She hesitated what to reply. To tell the whole truth to him, to say that she was Gerard’s wife, was, of course, out of the question. He would certainly receive such a statement with blank incredulity and probably with insult. Luckily, at that moment, when she was uncertain what to do and Geoffrey was growing more and more impertinent in his manner, the elder son of Lord Clanfield, who, if still less endowed with brains, was not quite such an ill-mannered young rascal as his brother, came in sight. He was sauntering out from the house with half a dozen dogs, of various breeds, running and barking round him. One of these, a bull terrier, spying a stranger in Audrey, rushed at her, and seizing her skirt, began to worry it tearing the light material to ribbons. “Down, sir, down!” cried Edgar, hastening his steps a little, as he came up to his brother and the lady. “I’m awfully sorry----” he went on, raising his hat as he spoke. When suddenly he recognised her in his turn, and said, in breathless amazement: “Madame Rocada!” He took her presence in the park in a different way from his brother’s, and seemed not only surprised, but rather alarmed by it. “Why, I--what--unexpected----” stammered he, as she bowed gravely and said nothing. There was a moment’s dead silence. Then she, perceiving that this young man was at least much more likely to listen quietly than his brother, said steadily and firmly:-- “My name is not Madame Rocada. It never has been that. I am not a countess, and I have never wished to pretend to be one.” She paused for a moment, and it was Geoffrey who, growing curious at this change in her manner, suddenly put in, half-insolently, half-inquiringly:-- “Well, if you are not Madame Rocada, who are you then?” Audrey hesitated one moment more only. Then very quietly, very solemnly, fixing her eyes on the face of the elder brother and drawing herself up to her full height, she answered:-- “My name is the same as your own. I am Audrey Angmering, your cousin Gerard’s wife.” “The devil you are!” cried Geoffrey, more in amusement than surprise. But the other saw that there was no pretentiousness, no show of indignation or of self-assertion, in the poor lady’s manner, and he silenced his brother by a frown and a curt word half under his breath. “Do you mean that?” he asked simply. “Yes. And listen. I know that Gerard is here: I’ve seen him. And I want to understand all about his coming--about his illness. I--I hadn’t even heard of it.”