“I—­think—­not,” said Lady Agnes slowly and gently.  “It is necessary to revive your recollections.  We loved one another since we were boy and girl, and we intended, as you know, to marry.  There was no regular engagement between us, but it was an understood family arrangement.  My father always approved of it; my brother did not.”

“No.  Because he saw in you an article of sale out of which he hoped to make money,” sneered Lambert, nursing his ankle.

Lady Agnes winced.  “Don’t make it too hard for me,” she said plaintively.  “My life is uncomfortable enough as it is.  Remember that when my father died we were nearly ruined.  Only by the greatest cleverness did Garvington manage to keep interest on the mortgages paid up, hoping that he would marry a rich wife—­an American for choice—­and so could put things straight.  But he married Jane, as you know—­”

“Because he is a glutton, and she knows all about cooking.”

“Well, gluttony may be as powerful a vice as drinking and gambling, and all the rest of it.  It is with Garvington, although I daresay that seeing the position he was in, people would laugh to think he should marry a poor woman, when he needed a rich wife.  But at that time Hubert wanted to marry me, and Garvington got his cook-wife, while I was sacrificed.”

“Seeing that I loved you and you loved me, I wonder—­”

“Yes, I know you wondered, but you finally accepted my explanation that I did it to save the family name.”

“I did, and, much as I hated your sacrifice, it was necessary.”

“More necessary than you think,” said Lady Agnes, sinking her voice to a whisper and glancing round, “In a moment of madness Garvington altered a check which Hubert gave him, and was in danger of arrest.  Hubert declared that he would give up the check if I married him.  I did so, to save my brother and the family name.”

“Oh, Agnes!” Lambert jumped up.  “I never knew this.”

“It was not necessary to tell you.  I made the excuse of saving the family name and property generally.  You thought it was merely the bankruptcy court, but I knew that it meant the criminal court.  However, I married Hubert, and he put the check in the fire in my presence and in Garvington’s.  He has also fulfilled his share of the bargain which he made when he bought me, and has paid off a great many of the mortgages.  However, Garvington became too outrageous in his demands, and lately Hubert has refused to help him any more.  I don’t blame him; he has paid enough for me.”

“You are worth it,” said Lambert emphatically.

“Well, you may think so, and perhaps he does also.  But does it not strike you, Noel, what a poor figure I and Garvington, and the whole family, yourself included, cut in the eyes of the world?  We were poor, and I was sold to get money to save the land.”

“Yes, but this changing of the check also—­”

“The world doesn’t know of that,” said Agnes hurriedly.  “Hubert has been very loyal to me.  I must be loyal to him.”