A Damsel in Distress

of brakes and a sputter of gravel in front of the main entrance of Belpher Castle. The slim and elegant yo

utes from Hyde Park Corner,

aling a florid and gloomy face, equipped, in addition to the usual features, with a small moustache a

l and English. Nearer, on his left, were rose-gardens, in the centre of which, tilted at a sharp angle, appeared the seat of a pair of corduroy trousers, whose wearer seemed to be engaged in hunting for snails. Thrushes sang in the green shrubberies; rooks cawed in the elms. Somewhere in

ion of all other thoughts, by the recollection of that painful scene in Bow Street Police Court. The magistrate's remarks, which had been tactless and unsympathetic, still echoed in his ears. And that infernal night in Vine Street police s

gs about his liver, kindly be-warned-in-time-and-pull-up-before-it-is-too-late things, which would have seemed to Percy indecently frank if spoken by his medical adviser in the privacy of the sick chamber.) It is perhaps not to be wondered at that Belpher Castle, for all its beauty of scenery and architecture, should have left Lord Belpher a little cold. He was seething with a fury which the conversation of Reggie Byng h

in as they alighte

d punches the bell. What awaits him beyond? Forgiveness? Or the raspberry? True, the white-haired butler who knew

er's scowl

king matter,"

e heart to joke at a moment like this, when the fri

oodness you

own in criminal circles as Percy, the Piccadilly Policeman-Puncher? I keep a bra

touch of cosy humanity to the scene which the hall with its half lights and massive furniture needed to make it perfect to the returned wanderer. He seemed to be intimating that this was a moment to which he had looked forward long, and that from now on quiet happiness would reign supreme. It is distressing to have to reveal the jarring fact that,

our lordship. Go

he salutation with a grunt,

to do it." He stepped a little to one side and indicat

our pard

till you can do it a

you're

. He had long since come to the conclusion that Reggie was slightly mad, a theory supported by the latter's va

rink into the librar

lp

d, your l

l just take the old car round to th

d to the library, while Keggs melted away through the green baize door at the e

s stepmother and Lord Marshmoreton coming towards him from

uncle! Back again at t

s aristocratic front a

where i

ne to the library. I just d

e turned to

to the libr

id Lord Marshmoreton irritably. Somet

strolling back after puttin

ud, dear o

. I was expecting y

t night. Had to stick

desert the old boy i

dly. "'Hour of trial,

, that's just what it

happened

ourse not. It wouldn't have been in the mor

y did

dramatic thing. Slos

marks the spot where

elt that this extraordinary happening must be linked up with her escapade. Then h

an to say Per

o Vine Street. Like the poem, don't you know. 'And poor old Percy walked between with gyves upon his wrists.' And this morning, bright and early, the beak parted him from ten quid. You know, Maud, old thing, our duty s

itated a

sked carelessly, "why he did it?

ly. All I know is that he popped one into the officer's waistband. What led up to it is mor

ost-mo

, and it looked to me very much as if the mater must have got hold

short wh

wonder if she got hold of the one that had the poem about it. One chappie was so carried away by the b

her best defence would be attack. Bluff was what was needed. Wide-eyed, innocent

rig

Reggie, "did your little business come

awfully sweet of you

too much on that part of it? What I mean to say is, for

h a laugh. "I'm not going to

th its violent adventures and tall policemen, did not enter here. There was balm in those rows and rows of books which nobody ever read, those vast writing tables at which nobody ever wrote. From the broad mantel-piece the bust of some unnamed ancient looked down almost sympath

e defe

me ex

roduction. Even Reggie had exhibited at times democratic traits of which she thoroughly disapproved. But of her nephew Percy she had always been sure. He was solid rock. He, at least, she had always felt, would never do anything to injure the family prestige. And now, so to speak, "Lo, Ben Adhem's name led all the rest." In other words, Percy was the worst of the lot. Whatever indiscretions the rest had committed, at least they had never got the family into the comic columns of the evening papers. Lord Marshmoreton might wear corduroy trousers and refuse to entertain the County at garden parties and go to bed with a book when it was his duty to act as host at a formal ball; Maud might give her heart to an impossible person whom nobody had ever heard of; and Reggie migh

, the heir to the title, behaving like a common rowdy in

ew the cir

y are in the evening pa

y at the recollection. He was an easily amused man. "Yo

oh

ou mean by it, damn it? You're my only son. I have watched you grow from child to boy, from boy to man, with tender solicitude. I have wanted to be proud of you. And all th

the necessity of saying his say while the saying was good. "The facts are these. I was walking along

e uttered an

ut Maud

he opinion that nothing in Percy's life so became him as this assault on the Force. Lord Marshmoreton, who in his time had committed all the follies of youth, had come to look on his blameless so

," said Lady Caroline imp

Marshmoreton. "I only spo

aw Maud in Pic

t down to an extraordinary resemblance, whe

permit this to pass in silen

aughter Maud just because she got into a cab. London," he proceeded, warming to the argument

n't take

did," said Lord Mar

s somebody else already in the cab.

y Caroline, falling into a chai

o look at the lady who had just got in. He denied that there was a lady in the cab. And I had seen her jump in with my own eyes. Throughout the conversation he was leaning out of the window with the obvious intention of screening whoever wa

f the papers. I daresay it's old. Stop me if you've heard it. A woman says to the

e thought that you would be interested in a matter

plied: 'They're at the wash.' Of course I am. Go on, Percy

to know what the matter was. I lost my head. I admit it f

d Marshmoreton, a

e right, Percy. These insolent jacks in office ought not to be

how Maud could have come to lose her head over such a man. He seemed to me to have no attraction whatever," said Lo

ve been the

e was an American. You recollect that we

eeply. Lord Marshmoreton, feeling that something was expected of him, said "Good Ga

e always believed in starting a conversation well, a

herself for

that comes only from a thoroughly guilty conscience. "What's all this I hear about your being

ght soul. Lord Marshmoreton, whose thoughts had wandered off to the rose garden, pulled himself together and tried to look menacing. Maud went on without wa

e never done before in my life." ("Bless my soul," said Lord Marshmoreton weakly, as, with an apprehensive eye on his sister, he patted his daughter's shoulder.) "First, I sent a screech

otee of the royal and ancient

this morning. What did yo

her. "Where were you

ild who has never even attempted to pu

er do y

n Piccadilly yesterday

oli

here Percy fights police

able of being answered only by "Yes" or "No", which ought not to be allowe

u not go to London

e Direct. As long as it was a question of suppression of the true or suggestion of the false she had no scruples. But she had a distas

, I

at Lord Belpher. Lo

Car

eet that Ameri

e had been an acutely embarrassed spectator of this distressing scene, and had been

eggie," said

w and what not-if you see what I mean-

d a sombre frown. "Then it was t

ine. "Knocked your hat off? You nev

grasped the handle of the door, when he suddenly struck my hat, cau

supreme exertion of will power into a mask of indignation. "You ought to have

cy," said Maud, "was not . . . He was

," said Lady Caroline caustically. "There ar

his throat. He was sorry

g at the mat

" said Lad

hmoreton

," said Maud, "so I ju

sa

lieve it,"

the

trying to put us

who deprecatingly lodges a timid complaint, fearful the while lest she may be hurting the fe

n this matter? Why will you not let yourself be

" said Lo

thing is

," said Lo

e turned on

rcy. Now, you've made me for

to the surface once more, "the proper attit

said Lad

and resumed his silent comm

lf being in love, Aunt

u've somebody with a leve

n tore himself a

. I recollect my poor father took me away from Oxford and kept me here at Belpher under lock and key. Lock and key, dammit. I was deucedly upset at the time, I remember." His mind wander

of her brother's researches into the fam

mind th

t over it. Tha

asion. There seems nothing to do but to treat Maud in just the same way. You shall not stir

rd Belpher solemnly, "I shal

came into Maud

ison make nor iron bars

experience, Percy,

hmor

ion," said Lady Caroline cold

e looked like a princess in

him, and nothing is ever going to stop me loving hi

ear from now you will have forgotten hi

said Lord

sha

tried once to remember that tobacconist girl's name, I've tried a hundred

will be wondering how you ever came to b

said Lord

ton turned on

quite? If somebody came to me and pointed you out and said, 'Is that your son?' do you suppose

nd turned the handle. Albert, the page boy, who had been courting earache by listening at the keyho

ave said all I

ry to disobey you,

er you've been cooped up here fo

e played over

s," she murmured softly,

ble men. Had one up here only the day before yesterday, forcing open the drawer of my desk. Watched him do it. Most interesting. He smelt rather strongly of a damned bad brand of t

to the window and looked out

said bitterly, "on the eve