‘If you’ll come in, pops,’ Helen informed him, ’we’ll arrange for everything.  I wanted to get the worst of it done before you came, as you’re so frightfully upsetting when there’s anything like this to be done.  Mr. Howard and Mrs. Murray,’ she added, explaining sweetly, ’just ran in for a minute’s call.  They are both in a hurry, and we had better not detain them.’

Howard flushed.  But his jaw muscles only bulged, and he did not withdraw his foot from the doorstep.  Sanchia bestowed upon the girl a long searching look; it may have suggested itself to Sanchia’s open mind at that instant that Helen was likely to prove a more troublesome factor than she had counted on.

‘If you don’t mind,’ Howard said with slow stubbornness, ’I’d like just a few words with you and Miss Helen.  Mrs. Murray came alone, and no doubt would prefer to return alone.’

Sanchia’s eyes flashed and she bit her lip.  Then, though her words came quickly, they were smooth and quiet and had a note of bantering laughter in them.

’Dear me, we must all be tired and hungry like a lot of children who have played too hard!  We’ll be quarrelling in another moment.  But I am not going to be so sensitive as to feel hurt and run off and cry; we are too good friends for that, as you’ve just said, Mr. Longstreet.  And I did so want to ask you some questions; I sent right away for the books you told me of, and I am simply mad over them.  And I got one of yours, too; the one on south-western desert formations.  It is the most splendid thing I ever read.  But it is so erudite, so technical in places.  I was going to ask if you would explain certain parts of it to me?’

‘Delighted to,’ ejaculated Longstreet.  His old beaming cheeriness enwrapped him like a rosy mist.  ’Come in, come in.  And you, too, Alan.’

They entered, Sanchia with a sidelong look at Helen, Howard grave and stubborn.  Everything was in a state of confusion which Sanchia was quick to mark, while Howard saw nothing of it.  He saw only Helen looking a far-off princess, cold and unapproachable.  And only a few minutes ago she had been just a winsome girl who leaned toward him, whom he dared to hope he could gather up into his arms.

Helen’s expression was one of set determination.  She breathed quickly and deeply.  Her anger rose that her two guests had overridden her expressed wish.  She watched her father hand Sanchia a chair.  She saw them sit down together at the table, Longstreet beginning to talk largely upon his hobby, Sanchia encouraging him with her sympathetic smile and her pertinent questions.  It appeared that Sanchia had really read and understood and was interested.

‘Papa,’ said Helen quietly, though her voice shook a little, ’I suppose that a time for very plain talking has come.  We will never get anywhere without it.  I have shown Mrs. Murray as plainly as I could that I don’t trust her and further that I do not like her.  She should not come into my house.  You should not ask her, if she has not enough pride to refuse your invitation.  Do you want me to go?  Or will you ask her to go?’