Patricia Brent, Spinster

heir best clothes and on their worst behaviour. Mr. Cordal descended to breakfast in carpet slippers with fur tops. Miss Wangle regarded this as a

uipment, and retired to the lounge to read Lloyd's News. Both the cigar and the newspaper lasted him throughout the day. Somewhere at the back of his mind was the conviction that in smoking a cigar, which he dis

of the fact that a hundred times before she had taken Galvin Hous

ton's fusee were an offering

-Smythe went to divine service at Westminster Ab

ained, did they think it would clear up? If it were fine, did they think it would last? Mrs. Barnes was always going to do something that was cont

gorous on Sundays. He descended to the dining-room rubbing his hands in a manner suggestive of a Dickens Christmas. After breakfast he walked in the Park, "to give the girls a tre

s courage arctic, which, coupled with his forty-five years, was a great obstacle to his happiness. I

wore the same clothes, with occasional additions, had the same thoughts;

for the one o'clock Sunday dinner. Roast mutton, onion sauce, cabbage, potatoes, fruit pie, and custard; alternated for four weeks with roast beef and Yor

oast-pork Sunday exactly how many months you had been there. If for a moment you had forgotten the day, and found yourself toy

on. "Were they getting full value for their money?" was the unuttered question. There were whisperings and grumblings, sometimes complaints. Then there wa

ot define. Mr. Cordal awoke unrefreshed, Mrs. Craske-Morton emerged from her "boudoir," where she balanced the week's accounts, convinced that ruin stared her in the face owing to the tonic qualities of Bayswater air, and Mr. Bolton emerged from Ll

be picked up as the various guests entered on their way to their rooms. She took herself severely to task for this weakness, but in spite of her best efforts, her eyes would wander towards the table an

uadrant Grill-room, Patricia entered Galvin House, her h

le, cow-like face expressing paine

this point. Patricia said he was Swiss wherever he wasn'

ologised Patricia. "I wasn't

ady in the looaunge, Mees Brent, the same as you." Gustave smiled broadly as

erself. "Aunt Adelaide, imagine Aunt

xactly what had been taking place, and now she would have to explain everything. Could she explain? Had she for one moment paused to think of Aunt Adelaide, no amount of frenzy or excitement would h

lips that she was saying "Ah! here she is." Miss Brent turned and regarde

Who would have though

ived the frigid kiss upon one che

uttered Patricia to he

t you," said Mrs. Mosscr

Adelaide," she continued, turning to Miss Brent, "this is a

cia. Is there a quiet corner w

de for the door. Mrs. Mosscrop-Smythe looked uncomfortable. M

p to my room, Aunt Ade

rent," she said, addressing Patricia, "would you not like to ta

much like a boudoir as a starveling mongrel is like an aristocratic chow. Patricia smiled her thanks. One of P

uddenness and an air of aggression that left Patricia in no d

gged to the back of her head, and crowned by a hat known in the dim recesses of the Victorian past as a "boater." A veil clawed what remained of the hair and hat towards the rear, and accentuated the sharpnes

emanded, "what is

Mosscrop-Smythe, Aunt Adelaide, heaven only kn

by uttering the name of the person whom she addres

cia with a patient sigh as she seated herself in the easiest

o these stories abou

unt Ade

u nothin

ngaged, you know. I suppose it is be

don't be

pposed to rise, but who won't rise, can't rise, and never will rise, from ten until five each day, fo

ised disapproval in Miss Br

atricia emphasised the word "stiff" in a way that br

idiom. Your flagrant vulgarity would hav

incapable even of invention. Supposing she told her aunt the whole story, at least sh

nt, "I repeat, what is this I

rently, "I suppose you've hear

ling me a wo

ty things, you know, tha

tri

sts, and if you associate with beasts, yo

" repeated

that I absolutely hate my name. I wish I'd been num

ou are engaged to

Patricia sat up

an in the loun

ising conviction in

ide, you are singularly discriminating to-day.

own thoughts. She possessed a masculine habit of thinking before she spoke,

was the recognised authority upon anything and everything concerned with royalty and the titled and landed gentry. County families were her hobbies and the peerage her obsession. It would be just like Peter,

ision. Conscious that she must not burn her boats, Patricia burst

you in future, Aunt Adelaide, I think she should

aunt's face, and with dignity met the keen

is title in favour of his rank in the army, that I think is a matter for h

d Patricia that she was car

id you meet this C

tricia's unprepared ears. All her self-comp

given her an Aunt Adelaide at all? Why had it not bestowed this inestimable treasure upon someone more deserving? What could she say? As well thin

he remarked indifferently. "Oh! I picked

mantled Miss Brent's sallow cheeks. All the proprieties, all the cha

atricia. London has done you no good. Wha

y tiring week, trying to leaven an unleavenable politician. S

w Patricia deplored that word "surviving," why had her Aunt Adelaide survived? "As your

nearly twenty-five, and I am q

nt spoke as if she were about to walk over heated plo

iss Brent, "where did y

unt Adelaide, but y

atricia. Is he really Lord P

I've never asked hi

Brent never did the obvious thing. Instead of repeating, "Never asked him!" she remained silent

mad!" Miss Brent sp

pation and smiled at her aunt as

nsterhood with some wo

ut there was more than a sp

enquired. There was in her voice

ce that her aunt had made up her

t?" she enqui

el Bowen you are engaged

ily and enquiring if it were he to whom her niece was engaged. She was too bewildered to know how to act. It would be so like this absurd person to t

r. She had heard of men giving false names to girls they met-in the way she and Bowen had met. He had, then, in spite of his protestations, mistaken her. In all probability he was not staying at

. Miss Wangle and Galvin House had been sufficiently serious factors, requiring all her watchfulness to circumvent them;

erous; but she possessed the deliberate logic of the one and the quickness of perception of

rid of her aunt for the day and then think things

so stupid. Come to tea to-morrow afternoon at half-past five and I will tell you all, as they say in the novelettes; but for heaven's sake

til to-morrow; but, understand me, I am your sole surviving relative and I h

she believed her. At that moment Miss Brent looked as if

rest. I am all nervy to-day; but I shall be all right to-morrow. Don't forge

he said, as a final shot, "to-morrow I shall expect a full explanation. I am deeply concerne

e. As she stalked to the temperance hotel in Bloomsbury, where she was staying,

t her father had once said that "relatives were the very devil." A softness came into her eyes at the thought of her father, and sh

d to the telephone at the end of the hall. There was a grimness about her look i

was a

el?" she enquired. "Is

k would

ited what s

voice crie

Lord Pete

" came the reply from t

true then!"

queried Bowen a

've jus

mean? I don't

evening," said Patr

t awfully g

hing of t

d. "Shall I

N

u dine w

N

re shall I

I will meet you at Lancaster Gat

be there. Shall

o talk and see how she was to get out of the difficulty with Aunt Adelaide. The car seemed to offer a

think that wil

pick you up? Please do, then you can bring a

ent. "Perhaps that would be the be

ill half-pas

'll be

d of you; I'm fri

ee, I think," was Patricia

revo

the receiver

d to radiate good nature, and he always appeared so genuinely glad to see her, or hear her voice that it placed her at a disadvantage. She ought to be stronger and more tenacious of purpose, she told her

way she had done, had it not been for Aunt Adelaide. In her heart she had to

full of Miss Wangle's discovery. She might have known that Miss Wangle would not be

lton came out of the lounge. Patricia put her arm round the f

ly, "what are the old tab

y, "you mustn't call them that, they have s

ink you would find an excuse for anyone, no matter how wicked. When I get very, very bad I shall come and ask you to explain

have a rest. Dad used to say that every woman ought to lie on her back for two hours each day. I don't know w

y dear," protest

told. Now what are the old cats-I beg your

, of course, dear, we're all very interested to

ind out?" inter

Wangle has a friend who has

good many unknown places," she added. "She has got a bishop in heaven, innumerable connections in Mayfair, acquaintances a

milton in horror, "you

tricia. "Well, I'm sorry if I've

about Lord Peter Bowen, how he had distinguished himself in France, won the Military Cross, the D.S.O., how he had been promoted to the rank

tness. "Why of course he's clever, otherwise he wou

you'll be happy," said

it," said

ilton's voice. She half raised herself o

speaking aloud quite unconscious that others could hear her. The wretched young man was brought up and presented, and everybody was agog to hear the grandmotherly pronouncement, for the old lady was as shrewd as she was frank. She looked at the young man keenly and deliberatel

s. Hamilton, seeing only the

grey lady," and she bent down and kissed the pa

n before Mrs. Hamilto

ndid her hair, "I suppose I shall ha