“Anne,” he said, at last, “promise me you will go out of your way to be kind to her.  Don’t let these other odious women put pin-points into her, because she is so innocent, and all unused to this society.  She is just my queen and my darling.  Will you remember that?”

And as Anne looked she saw there were two great tears in his eyes—­his deep-gray eyes which always wore a smile of whimsical mockery—­and she felt a lump in her throat.

This dear, dear brother!  And she could do nothing to comfort him—­one way or another.

“Hector, I will promise—­always,” she said, and her voice trembled.  “I am sure she is sweet and good; and she is so lovely and fascinating—­and oh, I wish—­I wish—­too!”

Then he bent down and kissed her, just as his mother and Lady Harrowfield came into the room.

Anne felt glad she had not informed them they were to meet the Browns, as was her first intention.  She seemed suddenly to see with Hector’s eyes, and to realize how narrow and spiteful Lady Harrowfield could be.

Most of the guests arrived one after the other, and were talking about the intimate things they all knew, when “Mr. and Mrs. Brown” were announced, and the whole party turned to look at them, while Lady Harrowfield tittered, and whispered almost audibly to her neighbor: 

“These are the creatures Florence insisted upon my giving an invitation to last night.  I did it for her sake, of course, so wretchedly poor she is, dear Florence, and she hopes to make a good thing out of them.  Look at the man!” she added.  “Has one ever sees such a person, except in a pork-butcher’s shop!”

“I have never been in one,” said Hector, agreeably, a dangerous flash in his eyes; “but I hear things are too wonderfully managed at Harrowfield House—­though I had no idea you did the shopping yourself, dear Lady Harrowfield.”

She looked up at him, rage in her heart.  Hector had long been a hopeless passion of hers—­so good-looking, so whimsical, and, above all, so indifferent!  She had never been able to dominate and ride rough-shod ever him.  When she was rude and spiteful he answered her back, and then neglected her for the rest of the evening.

But why should he defend these people, whom, probably, he did not even know?

She would watch and see.

Then they went in to luncheon, without waiting for two or three stray young men who were always late.

And Theodora found herself sitting between the Crow and a sleek-looking politician; while poor Josiah, extremely ill at ease, sat at the left hand of his hostess.

Anne had purposely not put Hector near Theodora; with her mother there she thought it was wiser not to run any risks.

Lady Bracondale was sufficiently soothed by her happy dream of the cause of Hector’s visit to Beechleigh to be coldly polite to Theodora, whom Anne had presented to her before luncheon.  She sat at the turn of the long, oval table just one off, and was consequently able to observe her very carefully.