“Uncle,” she said, “you should remember that your heart is weak and you must not overexcite yourself, also when you are calmer, that if you speak to me like that again, I shall go to the Court at once, for I will not be sworn at by you or by any other man.  I apologize to you, Alan; I am afraid I have brought you into strange company.  Come, my dear, we will go and order your dogcart,” and putting her arm affectionately through his, she went with him from the room.

“I wonder who put her up to all this?” gasped Haswell, as the door closed behind them.  “Some infernal lawyer, I’ll be bound.  Well, she has got the whip hand of me, and I can’t face an investigation in Chancery, especially as the only thing against Vernon is that the value of his land has fallen.  But I swear that she shall never marry him while I live,” he ended in a kind of shout and the domed and painted ceiling echoed back his words—­“while I live” after which the room was silent, save for the heavy thumping of his heart.

When Alan reached home that night after his ten-mile drive he sent Jeekie to tell the housekeeper to find him some food.  In his mysterious African fashion the negro had already collected much intelligence as to the events of the day, mostly in the servants’ hall, and more particularly from the two golf-caddies, sons of one of the gardeners, who it seemed instead of retiring with the clubs, had taken shelter in some tall whins and thence followed the interview between Barbara and Sir Robert with the intensest interest.  Reflecting that this was not the time to satisfy his burning curiosity, Jeekie went and in due course returned with some cold mutton and a bottle of claret.  Then came his chance, for Alan could scarcely touch the mutton and demanded toast and butter.

“Very inferior chop”—­that was his West African word for food—­“for a gentleman, Major,” he said, shaking his white head sympathetically and pointing to the mutton,—­“specially when he has unexpectedly departed from magnificent eating of The Court.  Why did you not wait till after dinner, Major, before retiring?”

Alan laughed at the man’s inflated English, and answered in a more nervous and colloquial style: 

“Because I was kicked out, Jeekie.”

“Ah!  I gathered that kicking was in the wind, Major.  Sir Robert Aylward, Bart., he also was kicked out, but by smaller toe.”

Again Alan laughed and, as it was a relief to talk even to Jeekie, asked him: 

“How do you know that?”

“I gathered it out of atmosphere, Major; from Sir Robert’s gentleman, from two youths who watch Sir Robert and Miss Barbara talking upon golf green No. 9, from the machine driver of Sir Robert whose eyes he damn in public, and last but not least from his own noble countenance.”

“I see that you are observant, Jeekie.”