"Certainly, certainly," Harry assented absently. Even the girl in the restaurant must know about it soon; there must be another pow-wowing in all the papers soon. But what would Cecily say? "If ever the time comes----." He had laughed at that; it had sounded so unlikely, so unreal, so theatrical. "If ever the time comes, I shall remember." That was a strange thing to look back to now. But it was all strange--the affair of the beastly new viscounty, Blinkhampton and its buildings, the Arbitration and the confidence of Mr Disney. Madame Valfier--Comtesse d'Albreville--with a little help from Addie Tristram had brought all these things about. The result of Harry's review of them was English enough to satisfy Wilmot Edge himself. "The whole thing makes me look rather an ass, I think," said he. "No doubt you acted impulsively," Edge allowed. It was fully equivalent to an assent. "Good heavens, I'd been brought up to it! It had always been the fact of my life." He made no pretences about the matter now. "It never occurred to me to think of any mistake. That certificate"--it lay on the table still--"was the sword of Damocles." He laughed as he spoke the hackneyed old phrase. "And Damocles knew the sword was there, or there'd have been no point in it." The two had rather lost track of his mood. They looked at one another again. "You've a lot to think of. We'll leave you," said the Colonel. "But--but what am I to do?" Old Neeld's voice was almost a bleat in his despair. "Am I to tell people at Blentmouth?" "The communication should come from an authoritative quarter," Edge advised. "It's bound to be a blow to her," said Neeld. "Suddenly lifted up, suddenly thrown down! Poor girl!" "Justice is the first thing," declared Wilmot Edge. Now he might have been on a court-martial. They knew nothing whatever of the truth or the true position. "We may rely on--on Lord Tristram--to treat the matter with every delicacy, Edge." "I'm sure of it, Neeld, I'm sure of it." "He has been through what is practically the same experience himself." "A very remarkable case, very remarkable. The state of the law which makes such a thing possible----" "Ah, there I don't agree, Edge. There may be hardships on individuals, but in the interests of morality----" "You must occasionally put up with damned absurdity," Harry interrupted rather roughly. "I beg your pardon, Mr Neeld. I--I'm a bit worried over this."