"Oh, yes," said Bell, softly. "I think it will be of good to him." And she looked at Jack very kindly. The young fellow was too much taken up with his object to notice it. "He's always doing that sort of thing," he went on. And now, if he had been a diplomatist, had even possessed the caution which Mrs Marchmont had urged upon him, he would have paused here, or strengthened his good impression by another tale of the same description. But unluckily Jack felt that more was incumbent upon him. He was for a bold assault which should carry the position by storm; and when might another opportunity present itself? "People don't know Everitt," he repeated; "he does out-of-the-way things. Miss Aitcheson,"--suddenly--"I'm afraid he's offended your friends here awfully." Unfortunate Jack! The parasol came a little lower down. "Has he?" coldly from Bell. But once started, he blundered into deeper mire, in spite of warning signs. "It did sound an odd thing to do; but, don't you see, he'd promised to send somebody, and Mrs Marchmont wasn't to be put off. There wasn't a bit of real harm, you know, and Everitt did it out of sheer good-nature." "Well, it's over and done with," said Bell, with an air of finality; "and I think it would be best to say no more about it." "But they've taken it in a way which makes him feel very uncomfortable," urged Jack. Bell lifted her head and looked him full in the face. "You're a very good friend, Mr Hibbert, but Mr Everitt is sufficiently a man of the world to have thought of consequences beforehand. Now, will you kindly go and tell Mrs Marchmont from me that she will find ices in the drawing-room." There was no help for it, Jack had to go. And then Bell turned to the girl by her side. "You didn't mind, did you, Kitty?" she demanded, with a little anxiety. "You know, I think you're disposed to be hard upon poor Mr Everitt, and I wanted you to hear what his friends have to say for him. That's a very nice boy." Then, as Kitty did not speak, she looked in her face: "Don't you think so?" "I dare say," said the other girl, impatiently. "Oh yes, I dare say he's a very good friend; but oh, Bell, don't you see?" "What?" "How dreadful it all is! The idea of this man knowing, and another man knowing, and all London knowing what he did! I am ashamed when I see people only looking at me. And just suppose if some one goes and alludes to it to father!" "Now, Kitty! All London! Why, this Mr Hibbert works in the same studio!" "He shouldn't have told him, all the same." "I do think you're dreadfully hard. Didn't it touch you to hear of what he'd done for that poor artist?" "Not when I thought of what he'd done to me. What have I to do with his kindness? He may be the kindest man in the world." "If I had been you," said Bell, "I believe I should have taken it as a compliment; and I'm quite sure I should have sent him a card for to-day, and thought no more about it."