Gwen could scarcely wait till the door was closed before she began to lay her troubles before him.

“It’s Mummy!” she told him very seriously.  “You can’t think how sick and disgusted I am.  Sit down, Reggie, and I’ll tell you all about it!  Being Mummy’s trustee, perhaps you will have some influence over her.  I have none.  She thinks I’m prejudiced.  And I’m not, Reggie.  There’s nothing to make me so except that Charlie is a nice boy, and the Admiral a perfect darling.”

She paused for breath, and Carey patiently waited for further enlightenment.  It came.

“Of course,” she said, seating herself on the arm of his chair, “I’ve always known that Mummy would marry again some day or other.  She’s so young and pretty; and I haven’t minded the idea a bit.  Poor, dear Dad was always such a very, very old man!  But I do want her to marry someone nice now the time has come.  All through the summer holidays I felt sure it was going to be the Admiral, and I was so pleased about it.  Charlie and I used to make bets about its coming off before Christmas.  He was ever so pleased, too, and we’d settled to join together for the wedding present so as to get something decent.  It was all going to be so jolly.  And now,” with a great sigh, “everything’s spoilt.  There’s—­there’s someone else.”

“Good heavens!” said Carey.  “Who?”

He had been suppressing a laugh during the greater part of Gwen’s confidence, but this last announcement startled him into sobriety.  A very faint misgiving stirred in his soul.  What if—­but no; it was preposterous.  He thrust it from him.

Gwen slid a loving arm about his neck.

“I like telling you things, Reggie.  You always understand, and they never worry me so much afterwards.  For I am—­horribly worried.  Mummy met him in the hunting field.  He has come to live quite near us—­oh, such a brute he is, loud and coarse and bullying!  He rode a horse to death only a few weeks ago.  They say he’s mad, and I’m nearly sure he drinks as well.  And he and Mummy have chummed up.  They are as thick as thieves, and he’s always coming to the house, dropping in at odd hours.  The poor, dear Admiral hasn’t a chance.  He’s much too gentlemanly to elbow his way in like—­like this horrid Major Coningsby.  Oh, Reggie, do you think you can do anything to stop it?  I don’t want her to marry him, neither does Charlie.  My, Reggie, what’s the matter?  You don’t know him, do you?  You don’t know anything bad about him?”

Carey was on his feet, pacing slowly to and fro.  One hand—­the maimed left hand—­was thrust away out of sight, as his habit was in a woman’s presence.  The other was clenched hard at his side.

He did not at once answer Gwen’s agitated questioning.  She sat and watched him in some anxiety, wondering at the stern perplexity with which he reviewed the problem.

Suddenly he stopped in front of her.

“Yes; I know the man,” he said.  “I knew him years ago in South Africa, and I met him again to-night.  I must think this matter over, and consider it carefully.  You are quite sure of what you say—­quite sure he is attracted by your mother?”