The Hon. Fitzroy Bagley, third son of a British peer, did not understand even yet that he was discharged as one dismisses a housemaid caught kissing the policeman.  He could not think what Mr. Ryder wanted him to go abroad for unless it were on some matter of business, and it was decidedly inconvenient for him to sail at this time.

“But, sir,” he stammered.  “I’m afraid—­I’m afraid——­”

“Yes,” rejoined Ryder promptly, “I notice that—­your hand is shaking.”

“I mean that I——­”

“You mean that you have other engagements!” said Ryder sternly.

“Oh no—­no but——­”

“No engagement at eleven o’clock to-morrow morning?” insisted Ryder.

“With my daughter?” chimed in the senator.

Mr. Bagley now understood.  He broke out in a cold perspiration and he paled visibly.  In the hope that the full extent of his plans were not known, he attempted to brazen it out.

“No, certainly not, under no circumstances,” he said.

Ryder, Sr. rang a bell.

“Perhaps she has an engagement with you.  We’ll ask her.”  To the butler, who entered, he said:  “Tell Miss Roberts that her father would like to see her here.”

The man disappeared and the senator took a hand in cross-examining the now thoroughly uncomfortable secretary.

“So you thought my daughter looked pale and that a little excursion to Buffalo would be a good thing for her?  Well, it won’t be a good thing for you, young man, I can assure you of that!”

The English aristocrat began to wilt.  His assurance of manner quite deserted him and he stammered painfully as he floundered about in excuses.

“Not with me—­oh dear, no,” he said.

“You never proposed to run away with my daughter?” cried the irate father.

“Run away with her?” stammered Bagley.

“And marry her?” shouted the senator, shaking his fist at him.

“Oh say—­this is hardly fair—­three against one—­really—­I’m awfully sorry, eh, what?”

The door opened and Kate Roberts bounced in.  She was smiling and full of animal spirits, but on seeing the stern face of her father and the pitiable picture presented by her faithful Fitz she was intelligent enough to immediately scent danger.

“Did you want to see me, father?” she inquired boldly.

“Yes, Kate,” answered the senator gravely, “we have just been having a talk with Mr. Bagley, in which you were one of the subjects of conversation.  Can you guess what it was?”

The girl looked from her father to Bagley and from him to the Ryders.  Her aristocratic lover made a movement forward as if to exculpate himself but he caught Ryder’s eye and remained where he was.

“Well?” she said, with a nervous laugh.

“Is it true?” asked the senator, “that you were about to marry this man secretly?”

She cast down her eyes and answered: 

“I suppose you know everything.”