’If I were you I would see my sister in spite of all the old viragos in Exeter,’ said Mrs Trevelyan.  ’I have no idea of anybody taking so much upon themselves.’

’You must remember, Mrs Trevelyan, that she has taken upon herself much also in the way of kindness, in doing what perhaps I ought to call charity.  I wonder what I should have been doing now if it were not for my Aunt Stanbury.’

He took his leave, and went at once from Curzon Street to Trevelyan’s club, and found that Trevelyan had not been there as yet.  In another hour he called again, and was about to give it up, when he met the man whom he was seeking on the steps.

‘I was looking for you,’ he said.

‘Well, here I am.’

It was impossible not to see in the look of Trevelyan’s face, and not to hear in the tone of his voice, that he was, at the moment, in an angry and unhappy frame of mind.  He did not move as though he were willing to accompany his friend, and seemed almost to know beforehand that the approaching interview was to be an unpleasant one.

’I want to speak to you, and perhaps you wouldn’t mind taking a turn with me,’ said Stanbury.

But Trevelyan objected to this, and led the way into the club waiting-room.  A club waiting-room is always a gloomy, unpromising place for a confidential conversation, and so Stanbury felt it to be on the present occasion.  But he had no alternative.  There they were together, and he must do as he had promised.  Trevelyan kept on his hat and did not sit down, and looked very gloomy.  Stanbury having to commence without any assistance from outward auxiliaries, almost forgot what it was that he had promised to do.

‘I have just come from Curzon Street,’ he said.

‘Well!’

‘At least I was there about two hours ago.’

’It doesn’t matter, I suppose, whether it was two hours or two minutes,’ said Trevelyan.

’Not in the least.  The fact is this; I happened to come upon the two girls there, when they were very unhappy, and your wife asked me to come and say a word or two to you.’

‘Was Colonel Osborne there?’

‘No; I had met him in the street a minute or two before.’

’Well, now; look here, Stanbury.  If you’ll take my advice, you’ll keep your hands out of this.  It is not but that I regard you as being as good a friend as I have in the world; but, to own the truth, I cannot put up with interference between myself and my wife.’

‘Of course you understand that I only come as a messenger.’

’You had better not be a messenger in such a cause.  If she has anything to say she can say it to myself.’

‘Am I to understand that you will not listen to me?’

‘I had rather not.’

‘I think you are wrong,’ said Stanbury.

’In that matter you must allow me to judge for myself.  I can easily understand that a young woman like her, especially with her sister to back her, should induce such a one as you to take her part.’