“Perfectly....  Was it you the dogs were so noisy about just now?”

“Yes; it seems that even my own dogs resent my return.  Well—­good night.  I’m glad you’re all right.”

Something in his voice, more than in the words, arrested her listless attention.

“Will you come in, Louis?”

“I’m afraid I’m keeping you awake.  Besides I’m wet—­”

“Come in and tell me where you’ve been—­if you care to.  Would you like some tea—­or something?”

He shook his head, but followed her into the small receiving-room.  There he declined an offered chair.

“I’ve been in New York....  No, I did not see your family....  As for what I’ve been doing—­”

Her lifted eyes betrayed no curiosity; a growing sense of depression crept over him.

“Oh, well,” he said, “it doesn’t matter.”  And turned toward the door.

She looked into the empty fireplace with a sigh; then, gently, “I don’t mean to make it any drearier for you than I can help.”

He considered her a moment.

“Are you really well, Shiela?”

“Why, yes; only a little tired.  I do not sleep well.”

He nodded toward the west wing of the house.

“Do they bother you?”

She did not answer.

He said:  “Thank you for putting them up.  We’ll get rid of them if they annoy you.”

“They are quite welcome.”

“That’s very decent of you, Shiela.  I dare say you have not found them congenial.”

“We have nothing in common.  I think they consider me a fool.”

“Why?” He looked up, keenly humourous.

“Because I don’t understand their inquiries.  Besides, I don’t gamble—­”

“What kind of inquiries do they make?”

“Personal ones,” she said quietly.

He laughed.  “They’re probably more offensively impertinent than the Chinese—­that sort of Briton.  I think I’ll step into the west wing and greet my relations.  I won’t impose them on you for very long.  Do you know when they are going?”

“I think they have made plans to remain here for a while.”

“Really?” he sneered.  “Well, leave that to me, Shiela.”

So he crossed into the western wing and found the Tressilvains tete-a-tete over a card-table, deeply interested in something that resembled legerdemain; and he stood at the door and watched them with a smile that was not agreeable.

“Well, Helen!” he said at last; and Lady Tressilvain started, and her husband rose to the full height of his five feet nothing, dropping the pack which he had been so nimbly manipulating for his wife’s amusement.

“Where the devil did you come from?” blurted his lordship; but his wife made a creditable appearance in her role of surprised sisterly affection; and when the two men had gone through the form of family greeting they all sat down for the conventional family confab.