They hastened back to the drawing-room; and at the same moment Tatham and Felicia walked in.

Felicia advanced with perfect self-command, her small face flushed with pink by the motion of the car.  In addition to the blue frock, Victoria’s maid had now provided her with a short cape of black silk, and a wide straw hat, to which the girl herself had given a kind of tilt, a touch of audacity, in keeping with all the rest of her personality.

As she came in, she glanced round the room with her uncannily large eyes—­her mother’s eyes—­taking in all the company.  She dropped a little curtsey to Mrs. Penfold, in whom the excitement of this sudden appearance of Melrose’s daughter had produced sheer and simple dumbness.  She allowed her hand to be shaken by Lydia and Susy, looking sharply at the former; while Susy looked sharply at her.  Then she subsided into a corner by Lady Tatham.  It was evident that she regarded herself as under that lady’s particular protection.

“Well?” said Lady Tatham in an eager aside to her son.  She read his aspect as that of a man preoccupied.

Tatham shrugged his shoulders with a glance at Felicia.  Victoria whispered to Lydia:  “Will you tell your mother I want to speak a few words to Harry on business?”

Mother and son passed into the garden together.

“A declaration of war!” said Tatham, as he handed a letter to her.  “I propose to instruct our solicitors at once.”

Victoria read hastily.  The writing was Faversham’s.  But the mind expressed was Melrose’s.  Victoria read him in every line.  She believed the letter to have been simply dictated.

“DEAR LORD TATHAM: 

“I have laid Mrs. Melrose’s statement before Mr. Melrose.  I regret to say that he sees no cause to modify the arrangements made years ago with regard to his wife, except that, in consideration of the fact that Miss Melrose is now grown up, he will add L20 yearly to Mrs. Melrose’s allowance, making it L100 a year.  Provision will be made for the continuance of this allowance to Mrs. Melrose till her death, and afterward to the daughter for her lifetime; on condition that Mr. Melrose is not further molested in any way.  Otherwise Mr. Melrose acknowledges and will acknowledge no claim upon him whatever.

“I am to add that if Mrs. Melrose is in difficulties, it is entirely owing to the dishonest rapacity of her family who have been living upon her.  Mr. Melrose is well acquainted with both the past and recent history of Mr. Robert Smeath, who made a tool of Mrs. Melrose in the matter of a disgraceful theft of a valuable bronze from Mr. Melrose’s collection—­”

“The Hermes!” cried Victoria.  “She has never said one word to me about it.”

“Miss Melrose has been telling me the story,” said Tatham, smiling at the recollection.  “By George, that’s a rum little girl!  She glories in it.  But she says her mother has been consumed with remorse ever since.  Go on.”