* * * * *

Then, as they gossiped gently, the door suddenly opened and a girl came in.

She was a very striking girl indeed, and her beauty was increased just now by obvious excitement held well in check.  She was tall and very fair, and carried herself superbly, looking taller than she really was.  Her eyes, particularly bright just now, were of a vivid blue, wide-open and well set in her face; her mouth was strong and sensible; and there was a glorious air of breeziness and health about her altogether.  She was in evening dress, and wore a light cloak over her white shoulders.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said—­“Oh! good evening, Mr. Dick!—­but there’s something wrong.  Clarkson ran out to tell us that Lord Talgarth—­it’s a telegram or something.  Father sent me to tell you.”

Archie looked at her a second; then he was gone, swiftly, but not hurriedly.  The girl turned to Dick.

“I’m afraid it’s something about Frank,” she said.  “I heard Clarkson mention his name to father.  Is there any more news?”

Dick laid down his cue across the table.

“I only came an hour ago,” he said.  “Archie was telling me just now.”

Jenny went across to the deep chair on the hearth, threw off her cloak and sat down.

“Lord Talgarth’s—­well—­if he was my father I should say he was in a passion.  I heard his voice.”  She smiled a little.

Dick leaned against the table, looking at her.

“Poor Frank!” he said.

She smiled again, more freely.

“Yes ... poor, dear Frank!  He’s always in hot water, isn’t he?”

“I’m afraid it’s serious this time,” observed Dick.  “What did he want to become a Catholic for?”

“Oh, Frank’s always unexpected!”

“Yes, I know; but this happens to be just the one very thing—­”

She looked at him humorously.

“Do you know, I’d no notion that Lord Talgarth was so deeply religious until Frank became a Catholic.”

“Yes, I know,” said Dick.  “But it is just his one obsession.  Frank must have known that.”

“And I’ve not the slightest doubt,” said Jenny, “that that was an additional reason for his doing it.”

“Well, what’ll happen?”

She jerked her head a little.

“Oh! it’ll pass off.  You’ll see.  Frank’ll find out, and then we shall all be happy ever afterwards.”

“But meantime?”

“Oh!  Frank’ll go and stay with friends a month or two.  I daresay he’ll come to the Kirkbys’, and I can go and see him.”

“Suppose he does something violent?  He’s quite capable of it.”

“Oh!  I shall talk to him.  It’ll be all right.  I’m very sensible indeed, you know.  All my friends tell me that.”

Dick was silent.

“Don’t you think so?”

“Think what?”

“That I’m very sensible.”

Dick made a little movement with his head.