"Hang him," muttered Towton, referring to Maunders. "Why can't he marry Miss Hest and have done with it." "Miss Hest has neither the money nor the looks to attract such a gay spark." "Oh, come now, she's a handsome girl." "Not in Maunders' way. He likes a weak woman, whom he can bully; and Miss Hest is much too firm and managing a wife for him to risk. By the way, are you going to the ball to-night?" "Yes." Towton's face lighted up with ridiculous pleasure. "It may give me a chance to----" "No, don't propose, Colonel. You will only be refused. Take my advice, and wait for a week or so. Maunders may be out of your way by that time!" "What do you mean, exactly?" "I am not at liberty to say. But I advise you to wait." Towton played with his bread and cheese. "All right," he said at length. "I place myself in your hands, although I am hanged if I can see what you mean." "Well," confessed Vernon, rising, "to tell you the truth, I am not very sure myself what I do mean. But I have a kind of instinct that if both of us play a waiting game, Maunders will get the cold shoulder." "From Ida--I mean from Miss Dimsdale?" "Yes, and from Miss Corsoon. Come into the pinacotheca and smoke." The two conspirators went there and discussed the matter further. As Vernon had confessed, he had no clear idea in his mind as to why he advised the Colonel to wait. But, in some vague way, he fancied that this business of The Spider might occupy Maunders' time and prevent his paying his usual attentions to Lucy and Ida. In that case both the girls would probably feel offended. Then Vernon intended to bring them together in some as yet unthought-of way, so that they might mutually discover how Maunders was courting both of them indiscriminately. Lucy, of course, in any case would have nothing to do with the young man; but Ida's pride, taking fire, might induce her, on making this discovery, to listen to the Colonel's wooing. Everything in Vernon's brain was vague and undecided, but he faintly felt that if events happened in some such way Maunders might be eliminated as a stumbling block. All these possibilities, however, being still in the clouds, he did not reveal them to Towton. The conversation in the pinacotheca resolved itself into the two men consoling one another regarding their doubtful love affairs. Arranging to meet at the masked ball, they parted on more than friendly terms and with quite a feeling of intimacy. This was natural, considering what they had been discussing. But the proposed meeting at "Rangoon" never came off. The unexpected happened, as Vernon might have guessed it would. But, with all his experience of life, he was never so much astonished as when a telegram was handed in at his rooms with the name of Lucy Corsoon attached. "Come to No. 34, Waller Street, West Kensington," ran the wire, "at nine o'clock. Trouble with M.----L. Corsoon." "Now what the deuce does this mean?" Vernon asked himself.