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she wished, and poor Uncle Roger found it difficult to express himself without an occasional emphasis of that kind. He congratulated himself presently, however, on having successfully closed the discussion, which in another moment he felt would have involved the story of Pamela’s adventures in California and her flight to Australia. Those experiences had been mercifully dimmed in the excitement of the home-coming, and the guarded version that reached Aunt Sophia had made little impression beside the overwhelming facts of Pamela’s incredible marriage and the reappearance of “this man who calls himself Lord Trent,” as Aunt Sophia alluded to him on her first meeting with her truant niece.

“Who is Lord Trent,” Pamela had responded firmly, and for once silenced her aunt by refusing to discuss the situation with her.

“You have always been so good to me, Aunt Sophia, and I have been an anxiety to you lately, but please don’t let us go on talking about what has happened. It only means that we shall both say things we shall never be able to forget or forgive—and that would be a great pity.”

Aunt Sophia was obliged to be content with discussing the intrusion at length with the rest of the family; but after all there was nothing to be done about it, and since Tony undoubtedly was “poor Adelaide’s son” the best thing that could have happened was his marriage to Pamela. The more daring spirits introduced this point of view to Aunt Sophia’s notice, but it did not noticeably smooth the situation. She much preferred them to rail in chorus. They all expressed a greater or less feeling of indignation, but they accepted their first invitation to Trent Stoke cheerfully and even eagerly. Tony as host might be a sight worth seeing—anyhow it would be interesting to watch him in those surroundings, and see how “little Pamela” took her relegation to the position of Queen