In the second week Mr. Le Mesurier removed his household gods to Sark.  It was his habit to spend the summer months upon the island, and to entertain there his friends in succession.  He invited both Mrs. Willoughby and Stephen Drake.  The former accepted, the latter, being on the eve of floating the Matanga Concessions, declined for the present to Clarice’s great relief, but promised to come later.  The company was floated towards the end of the month, and with immediate success.  Mr. Le Mesurier read out at breakfast a letter which he had received from Drake, announcing that every share had been taken up on the very day of flotation.

‘Then he is coming,’ said Clarice.  ‘When?’

Mr. Le Mesurier mistook his daughter’s anxiety, and smiled satisfaction at her.  ‘To-morrow,’ he replied; ’but only for three days at first.  There’s some new development he speaks of.  He will have to leave again on Saturday for a fortnight.’

Clarice sat thoughtfully for a minute or two.  Then she asked:  ’Did you invite Mr. Mallinson this summer?’

Mr. Le Mesurier shuffled his feet under the table.  ‘No, my dear,’ he said.  ’I forgot all about it; and now I don’t see that we shall have room.’

‘Oh yes,’ replied Clarice quickly.  ’He might have Mr. Drake’s room during that fortnight.  I think we ought to ask him.  We always have, and it will look rather strange if we leave him out this summer.  I will get aunt to write after breakfast.’

Mr. Le Mesurier glanced at Mrs. Willoughby, but made no active resistance, and Clarice took care that the letter was despatched by that day’s post.  On the next day she organised a picnic in Little Sark, and returned to the Seigneurie at an hour which gave her sufficient time to dress for dinner, but no margin for welcoming visitors.  In consequence she only saw Drake at the dinner-table.  She saw little of him afterwards, for Mr. Le Mesurier pounced upon him after dinner.  ’I want to introduce you to Burl,’ he said.  ’He’s Parliamentary agent for the Northern Counties.  There’s a constituency in Yorkshire where my brother lives, and I rather think Burl wants a candidate.’

Drake was presented to a gentleman six feet three in his socks, deep-chested, broad-shouldered, with a square rugged face on the slant from the forehead to the chin.  Mrs. Willoughby said he looked like a pirate, and rumour made of her simile a fact.  It was known that, late one night in the smoking-room of the Seigneurie, he had owned to silver-running on the coast of Mexico.  Mr. Burl and Drake passed most of that evening smoking together in the garden.  Similarly on the next day Clarice avoided a private interview with Drake.  On the other hand, however, he made no visible effort to secure one.  Mrs. Willoughby wondered at his reticence, and did more than wonder.  She had by this time espoused his cause, and knowing no half-measures in her enthusiasms, saw his chances slipping from him, with considerable irritation.  She was consequently provoked to hint her advice to him on the evening before he was to leave.