“Is there a meeting this month?”

They all looked anxiously at the printed letter.

“Yes!  The twenty-third of December.  Put it down in your book, Amelia.”  Amelia, then and there, put it down among the engagements for the latter end of the month.  And Natalie’s unacknowledged husband placidly looked on.

So did the merciless irony of circumstances make Launce the innocent means of exposing his own secret to discovery.  Thanks to his success in laying his hand on the wrong music-book, there would now be a meeting—­two good days before the elopement could take place—­between the lord’s daughters and the rector’s wife!

The guests of the evening began to appear by twos and threes.  The gentlemen below stairs left the dinner-table, and joined them.

The small drawing-room was pleasantly filled, and no more.  Sir Joseph Graybrooke, taking Turlington’s hand, led him eagerly to their host.  The talk in the dining-room had turned on finance.  Lord Winwood was not quite satisfied with some of his foreign investments; and Sir Joseph’s “dear Richard” was the very man to give him a little sound advice.  The three laid their heads together in a corner.  Launce (watching them) slyly pressed Natalie’s hand.  A renowned “virtuoso” had arrived, and was thundering on the piano.  The attention of the guests generally was absorbed in the performance.  A fairer chance of sending Launce for the fan could not possibly have offered itself.  While the financial discussion was still proceeding, the married lovers were ensconced together alone in the boudoir.

Lady Winwood (privately observant of their absence) kept her eye on the corner, watching Richard Turlington.

He was talking earnestly—­with his back toward the company.  He neither moved nor looked round.  It came to Lord Winwood’s turn to speak.  He preserved the same position, listening.  Sir Joseph took up the conversation next.  Then his attention wandered—­he knew beforehand what Sir Joseph would say.  His eyes turned anxiously toward the place in which he had left Natalie.  Lord Winwood said a word.  His head turned back again toward the corner.  Sir Joseph put an objection.  He glanced once more over his shoulder—­this time at the place in which Launce had been standing.  The next moment his host recalled his attention, and made it impossible for him to continue his scrutiny of the room.  At the same times two among the evening guests, bound for another party, approached to take leave of the lady of the house.  Lady Winwood was obliged to rise, and attend to them.  They had something to say to her before they left, and they said it at terrible length, standing so as to intercept her view of the proceedings of the enemy.  When she had got rid of them at last, she looked—­and behold Lord Winwood and Sir Joseph were the only occupants of the corner!

Delaying one moment, to set the “virtuoso” thundering once more, Lady Winwood slipped out of the room and crossed the landing.  At the entrance to the empty drawing-room she heard Turlington’s voice, low and threatening, in the boudoir.  Jealousy has a Second Sight of its own.  He had looked in the right place at starting—­and, oh heavens! he had caught them.