But it was a rather weary-faced young hostess that wrapped Prim up, after that, and the lips that kissed her were hot.

Mr. Falkirk went down to his cottage and came back to breakfast the next morning, without having broached to his ward several subjects which stirred his thoughts.  Finding himself in the fresh light of the new day, and in the security of the early morning, seated opposite Miss Hazel at the breakfast table, with the croquet confusion a thing of the past, he opened his mind.

‘You had no wine yesterday, my dear, I observed.’

‘No, sir.  As I intended.’

‘That is not according to custom—­of other people.’

‘It is my custom—­henceforth,’ said Wych Hazel.

‘Are the reasons too abstruse for my comprehension?’

The girl looked up at him, her eyes kindling.

‘Mr. Falkirk,’ she said, ’if ever again a man gets a glass of wine from my hand, or in my house, I shall deserve to live that July night all over!’

Mr. Falkirk did not at all attempt to combat this conclusion.  He ate his toast with an extremely thoughtful face for some minute or two.’

’Suppose, by and by, there should be two words to that bargain?’

‘Then there will be several more, sir,—­that is all,’ she said steadily, though her face glowed.

‘You mean that you will fight for your position?’

‘Inch by inch.  Fight for it, and keep it.’

Mr. Falkirk’s lips gave way a little, though with what expression it was impossible to determine.

’To remark that your position will be remarked upon as peculiar is, I am aware, to make a fruitless expenditure of words in your hearing, Miss Hazel.  But it will not make much difference what you do, my dear.  They will find the article, in its varieties, at every other house that is open to them.’  Mr. Falkirk was thinking probably of young men.

’Well, sir—­I, at least, will have no part in making any man unfit to speak to a woman.’

Mr. Falkirk ruminated again, and then broke out: 

‘Why did not Rollo come with Miss Maryland yesterday?’

’I presume, because he did not want to come,—­but perhaps you had better ask him,’ said Miss Hazel.

‘Why should I ask him?’ returned her guardian, looking up at her.  ‘Has Mr. Rollo offended you, Miss Hazel?’

‘I merely thought you wanted to know, sir.  No,’ she answered, to his last question.  ’He was invited—­if that is what you mean.’

‘I fancied,’ said Mr. Falkirk, looking puzzled, ’that in the general buzz of tongues yesterday—­which is fit to confuse anything with more brains than a mosquito—­I heard various buzzings which seemed to have reference to him.  Perhaps I was wrong.  I did not mean to listen, but if a fly gets into your ear it is difficult not to know it.  Was I right, or was I wrong?’

’Right, I fancy, sir.  Mr. Rollo’s name is very often upon people’s tongues.’