But as he saw her come in his face lightened, and she felt touched.  Poor Lionel!  He was certainly very, very fond of her.

“I do hope Helen Brabazon will stay on with you and Bubbles,” he said eagerly.  “I think I’ve nearly persuaded Miss Burnaby to let her do so.  Do say a word to her, Blanche?”

“I will, if you like.  But in that case, hadn’t we better ask Sir Lyon to stay on, too?”

“Dilsford!” he exclaimed.  “Why on earth should we think of doing that?”

Blanche smiled.  “Where are your eyes?” she asked.  “Sir Lyon’s head over heels in love with Helen Brabazon; and I’ve been wondering these last few days whether that quiet, demure girl is quite as unconscious of his state as she pretends to be!”

And then, as she began pouring out a cup of tea for the man who was now looking at her with a dismayed, surprised expression on his face, she went on composedly:  “It would be rather amusing if two engagements were to come out of your house-party, Lionel—­wouldn’t it?”

But he answered at once, in a harsh, decided tone, “I think you’re quite mistaken, Blanche.  Why, they’ve hardly exchanged two words together.”

Blanche put down the tea-pot.  She began to laugh—­she really couldn’t help it.  “You must have been deaf as well as blind!” she exclaimed.  “They’ve been together perpetually!  I admit that that’s been his doing—­not hers.  For days past I’ve seen right into his mind—­seen, I mean, the struggle that has been taking place between his pride and—­yes, the extraordinary attraction that girl seems to have for him.  He’s no fortune-hunter, you know; also, he wants so little, the lucky man, that I think her money would be a positive bother to him.”

Lionel Varick stared at Blanche Farrow.  She had a way of being right about worldly matters—­the triumph of experience over hope, as she had once observed cynically.  But this time he felt sure she was wrong.

The feminine interest in a possible, probable, or even improbable love-affair always surprises the average man—­surprises, and sometimes annoys him very much.

“Do you go so far as to say she returns this—­this feeling you attribute to him?” he asked abruptly.  He was relieved to see Blanche shake her head.

“No; I can’t say that I’ve detected any response on her part,” she said lightly.  “But she’s very old-fashioned and reserved.  She certainly enjoys Sir Lyon’s rather dull conversation, and she likes cross-examining him about the life of the poor.  She’s a very good girl,” went on Blanche musingly.  “She’s a tremendous sense of duty.  One can never tell—­but no, I don’t think the idea that Sir Lyon’s in love with her has yet crossed her mind!  And I should say that she really prefers you to him.  She has a tremendous opinion of you, Lionel.  I wonder why?”

He laughed aloud, for the first time since Bubbles’ accident.  He knew that what Blanche said was true, and it was a very pleasant, reassuring bit of knowledge.