Three Men and a Maid

st spies of some advancing army. It was a fine summer morning. The hands of the Dutch clock in the hall pointed to thirteen minutes past nine; those of the ormolu clock

ad on the pillow, opening her eyes, and sittin

of "The Spreading Light," "What of the Morrow," and all the rest of that well-known serie

s, and plain, ordinary bores; some herd instinct seemed to affect them all simultaneously. It was like one of those great race movements of the Middle Ages. Men and women of widely differing views on religion, art, politics, and almos

in this woman and she meant to get hers while the getting was good. She was half way across the Atlantic with a complete itinerary booked befor

s, the old grey stone of its walls-these were bound up with her very being. She felt that she belonged to Windles, and Windles to her. Unfortunately, as a matter of cold, legal accuracy, it did not. She did but hold it in trust for her son, Eustace, until such time as he should marry and take possession of it himself. Th

where breakfast awaited her. She smiled tolerantly. She had never desired to convert her son to her own early rising habits, for, apart from not allowing him to call his

interest. There was an invitation from the Butterfly Club asking her to be the guest of honour at their weekly dinner. There was a letter from her brother Mallaby-Sir Mallaby Marlowe, the eminent London lawyer-saying that his son Sam, of whom she had never approved, would be in New York s

of voices in the hall, and presently the domestic staff

ere was a

annoyed. Her morn

him I was not t

loosed him int

a moment in melanchol

our nephew. His

er, blood being thicker than water, and all that sort of thing, she supposed she would have to give him five minutes. She went into the sitting-room and found there a young man who looked more or less like all other young men, though perhaps rather fitter than most. He had grown a good deal since she had last met him,

Adeline!" he

el!" said M

meeting; and Sam, who imagined that he had long since grown to man's estate and put off childish things, was embarrassed to discover that his aunt still affected him as of old. That is t

g," said Sam,

. I have not

ook in and see

morning is my busy time, but …

s anothe

like America

e it exce

some people do. Proh

affect me. I can take

e America-" began Mr

troit, you know, and they practically gave me the city and asked me if I'd like another to take home in my pocket.

merica?" said Mrs. Hignett

play golf. In a to

sapprovingly, "you could be better occupied

bit and I swim a good lot, and I

oes not insist on your

I suppose I shall take a stab at it sooner or

erfectly

l be getting hitched up on

tt started

you sa

E

kes you

tic sort of fellow. Wri

rying. He is of a shy and retiring temperamen

th a woman whom from his earliest years he had always considered the Empress of the Wash-outs much might have been made of him. Both at school and at Oxford, Eustace had been-if not a sport-at least a decidedly cheery old bean. Sam remembered Eustace at school breaking gas globes with a slipper in a positively rollicking manner. He remem

ed to keep him with her till the end of her lecturing tour. That, however, was out of the question. It was imperative that, while she was away, he should be at Windles. Nothing would have ind

I'll go down to the office and see if we can't have a state-room

live? Why, at Windles,

were letting Wind

ignett

ight address a lunatic. "What put tha

something about your le

ric

g of th

, whom she had met just before sailing at her brother's house in London. Invited down to Windles for the day, Mr. Bennett had fallen in love with the place and had begged her to name her own price. Not content with this, he had pursued her with his pleadings by means of the wireless telegraph while she was on the ocean, and had not given up the struggle even when she reached New York. H

ith finality, and rose significantly. Sam, perceiving th

ing down and seeing about

busy just now, preparing n

. I suppose you're having a great time

od-

e preparation of lectures on Theosophy, sat down at the writing-table and began to go through the notes which she had made

re was a g

ed Mrs. Hignett. "Did you

oosed him into

er from one of

ats and a tall-shaped

tim

m Mor

t of a kyard, but I dropped it

imer. He was the son of the Mr. Mortimer who was the friend of the Mr. Bennett who wanted Windles. This visit could only have to do with t

like a parrot than most parrots do. It gave strangers a momentary shock of surprise when they saw Bream Mo

, Mrs. H

e sit

rather have hopped on to a perch, but he sat down. H

must have a wor

ing a word w

know how

It is quite impossible.

ortimer

ou have

. Your father talked about nothing else. And now," cried Mrs. Hignett fiercely, "you come and try to reop

n't come a

t come abou

Lord

indly tell me wh

e wriggled a little and moved his ar

a man who butts into other p

id Mrs.

began

who gossips w

N

t a man

as never a ver

ny things which you do not do. Let us confine ourselves to issues of definite importance. What is it, if y

marr

marr

on's ma

is not m

be. At eleven o'clock t

ound the

ignett

you

well pleased, I'm bou

rn it all, I'm in love

s this

lent, patient fellows who hang around and

irl who has en

been one of t

tive qualities, also, for granted. In fact, we will not di

who had it from her maid, and, though I'm not a

who is the girl my misgui

. We were children together, and I've loved her for years. Ten years at least. But you know how it is-somehow one never seems to get in line for a proposal. I tho

say in psycho-analysis to some future occasion I shall be greatly obli

That's odd. I haven't! It's funny how one doesn't do

is her

nne

f Mr. Rufus Bennett? The red-haired girl I m

at guesser. I think you

nten

in

n every way. Miss Bennett and my so

. I've notice

are not the

t a hundred times. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've thou

coming and telling me of this.

m a flying-wedge and buck-centre? It's getting late. She'll be w

will not

k you can

be there," repea

hopped down f

taken a weight

ne, scarcely constructe

breakfast. Relieved now. This is where three eggs and a rasher

u c

ll say g

od-

'm sailing for England on

will be your f

looked somewh

that I was the one w

your

that I threw a spanne

t unders

crabbed his act-gave the

ion your chivalro

chivalrous. Of course, all's fair in love and war. Well, I'm glad you're going to keep m

oard. He is a very indifferent sailor an

a lot of awkwardne

reach England rememb

did not see how it was humanly possible for anyone to forget this

e surface of a rushing river. By the time the door had closed behind Bream Mortimer she had at her disposal no fewer than seven, all good. It took her but a mome