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　Inasmuch　as　the　scene　of　this　story　is　that　historic　pile；　Belpher　Castle；　in　the　county　of　Hampshire；　it　would　be　an　agreeable　task　to　open　it　with　a　leisurely　description　of　the　place；　followed　by　some　notes　on　the　history　of　the　Earls　of　Marshmoreton；　who　have　owned　it　since　the　fifteenth　century。　Unfortunately；　in　these　days　of　rush　and　hurry；　a　novelist　works　at　a　disadvantage。　He　must　leap　into　the　middle　of　his　tale　with　as　little　delay　as　he　would　employ　in　boarding　a　moving　tramcar。　He　must　get　off　the　mark　with　the　smooth　swiftness　of　a　jack…rabbit　surprised　while　lunching。　Otherwise；　people　throw　him　aside　and　go　out　to　picture　palaces。
　I　may　briefly　remark　that　the　present　Lord　Marshmoreton　is　a　widower　of　some　forty…eight　years：　that　he　has　two　childrena　son；　Percy　Wilbraham　Marsh；　Lord　Belpher；　who　is　on　the　brink　of　his　twenty…first　birthday；　and　a　daughter；　Lady　Patricia　Maud　Marsh；　who　is　just　twenty：　that　the　chatelaine　of　the　castle　is　Lady　Caroline　Byng；　Lord　Marshmoreton's　sister；　who　married　the　very　wealthy　colliery　owner；　Clifford　Byng；　a　few　years　before　his　death　（which　unkind　people　say　she　hastened）：　and　that　she　has　a　step…son；　Reginald。　Give　me　time　to　mention　these　few　facts　and　I　am　done。　On　the　glorious　past　of　the　Marshmoretons　I　will　not　even　touch。
　Luckily；　the　loss　to　literature　is　not　irreparable。　Lord　Marshmoreton　himself　is　engaged　upon　a　history　of　the　family；　which　will　doubtless　be　on　every　bookshelf　as　soon　as　his　lordship　gets　it　finished。　And；　as　for　the　castle　and　its　surroundings；　including　the　model　dairy　and　the　amber　drawing…room；　you　may　see　them　for　yourself　any　Thursday；　when　Belpher　is　thrown　open　to　the　public　on　payment　of　a　fee　of　one　shilling　a　head。　The　money　is　collected　by　Keggs　the　butler；　and　goes　to　a　worthy　local　charity。　At　least；　that　is　the　idea。　But　the　voice　of　calumny　is　never　silent；　and　there　exists　a　school　of　thought；　headed　by　Albert；　the　page…boy；　which　holds　that　Keggs　sticks　to　these　shillings　like　glue；　and　adds　them　to　his　already　considerable　savings　in　the　Farmers'　and　Merchants'　Bank；　on　the　left　side　of　the　High　Street　in　Belpher　village；　next　door　to　the　Oddfellows'　Hall。
　With　regard　to　this；　one　can　only　say　that　Keggs　looks　far　too　much　like　a　particularly　saintly　bishop　to　indulge　in　any　such　practices。　On　the　other　hand；　Albert　knows　Keggs。　We　must　leave　the　matter　open。
　Of　course；　appearances　are　deceptive。　Anyone；　for　instance；　who　had　been　standing　outside　the　front　entrance　of　the　castle　at　eleven　o'clock　on　a　certain　June　morning　might　easily　have　made　a　mistake。　Such　a　person　would　probably　have　jumped　to　the　conclusion　that　the　middle…aged　lady　of　a　determined　cast　of　countenance　who　was　standing　near　the　rose…garden；　talking　to　the　gardener　and　watching　the　young　couple　strolling　on　the　terrace　below；　was　the　mother　of　the　pretty　girl；　and　that　she　was　smiling　because　the　latter　had　recently　bee　engaged　to　the　tall；　pleasant…faced　youth　at　her　side。
　Sherlock　Holmes　himself　might　have　been　misled。　One　can　hear　him　explaining　the　thing　to　Watson　in　one　of　those　lightning　flashes　of　inductive　reasoning　of　his。　〃It　is　the　only　explanation；　my　dear　Watson。　If　the　lady　were　merely　plimenting　the　gardener　on　his　rose…garden；　and　if　her　smile　were　merely　caused　by　the　excellent　appearance　of　that　rose…garden；　there　would　be　an　answering　smile　on　the　face　of　the　gardener。　But；　as　you　see；　he　looks　morose　and　gloomy。〃
　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　gardenerthat　is　to　say；　the　stocky；　brown…faced　man　in　shirt　sleeves　and　corduroy　trousers　who　was　frowning　into　a　can　of　whale…oil　solutionwas　the　Earl　of　Marshmoreton；　and　there　were　two　reasons　for　his　gloom。　He　hated　to　be　interrupted　while　working；　and；　furthermore；　Lady　Caroline　Byng　always　got　on　his　nerves；　and　never　more　so　than　when；　as　now；　she　speculated　on　the　possibility　of　a　romance　between　her　step…son　Reggie　and　his　lordship's　daughter　Maud。
　Only　his　intimates　would　have　recognized　in　this　curious　corduroy…trousered　figure　the　seventh　Earl　of　Marshmoreton。　The　Lord　Marshmoreton　who　made　intermittent　appearances　in　London；　who　lunched　among　bishops　at　the　Athenaeum　Club　without　exciting　remark；　was　a　correctly　dressed　gentleman　whom　no　one　would　have　suspected　of　covering　his　sturdy　legs　in　anything　but　the　finest　cloth。　But　if　you　will　glance　at　your　copy　of　Who's　Who；　and　turn　up　the　〃M's〃；　you　will　find　in　the　space　allotted　to　the　Earl　the　words　〃HobbyGardening〃。　To　which；　in　a　burst　of　modest　pride；　his　lordship　has　added　〃Awarded　first　prize　for　Hybrid　Teas；　Temple　Flower　Show；　1911〃。　The　words　tell　their　own　story。
　Lord　Marshmoreton　was　the　most　enthusiastic　amateur　gardener　in　a　land　of　enthusiastic　amateur　gardeners。　He　lived　for　his　garden。　The　love　which　other　men　expend　on　their　nearest　and　dearest　Lord　Marshmoreton　lavished　on　seeds；　roses　and　loamy　soil。　The　hatred　which　some　of　his　order　feel　for　Socialists　and　Demagogues　Lord　Marshmoreton　kept　for　roseslugs；　rose…beetles　and　the　small；　yellowish…white　insect　which　is　so　depraved　and　sinister　a　character　that　it　goes　through　life　with　an　aliasbeing　sometimes　called　a　rose…hopper　and　sometimes　a　thrips。　A　simple　soul；　Lord　Marshmoretonmild　and　pleasant。　Yet　put　him　among　the　thrips；　and　he　became　a　dealer…out　of　death　and　slaughter；　a　destroyer　in　the　class　of　Attila　the　Hun　and　Genghis　Khan。　Thrips　feed　on　the　underside　of　rose　leaves；　sucking　their　juice　and　causing　them　to　turn　yellow；　and　Lord　Marshmoreton's　views　on　these　things　were　so　rigid　that　he　would　have　poured　whale…oil　solution　on　his　grandmother　if　he　had　found　her　on　the　underside　of　one　of　his　rose　leaves　sucking　its　juice。
　The　only　time　in　the　day　when　he　ceased　to　be　the　horny…handed　　toiler　and　became　the　aristocrat　was　in　the　evening　after　dinner；　when；　egged　on　by　Lady　Caroline；　who　gave　him　no　rest　in　the　matterhe　would　retire　to　his　private　study　and　work　on　his　History　of　the　Family；　assisted　by　his　able　secretary；　Alice　Faraday。　His　progress　on　that　massive　work　was；　however；　slow。　Ten　hours　in　the　open　air　made　a　man　drowsy；　and　too　often　Lord　Marshmoreton　would　fall　asleep　in　mid…sentence　to　the　annoyance　of　Miss　Faraday；　who　was　a　conscientious　girl　and　liked　to　earn　her　salary。
　The　couple　on　the　terrace　had　turned。　Reggie　Byng's　face；　as　he　bent　over　Maud；　was　earnest　and　animated；　and　even　from　a　distance　it　was　possible　to　see　how　the　girl's　eyes　lit　up　at　what　he　was　saying。　She　was　hanging　on　his　words。　Lady　Caroline's　smile　became　more　and　more　benevolent。
　〃They　make　a　charming　pair；〃　she　murmured。　〃I　wonder　what　dear　Reggie　is　saying。　Perhaps　at　this　very　moment〃
　She　broke　off　with　a　sigh　of　content。　She　had　had　her　troubles　over　this　affair。　Dear　Reggie；　usually　so　plastic　in　her　hands；　had　displayed　an　unaccountable　reluctance　to　offer　his　agreeable　self　to　Maudin　spite　of　the　fact　that　never；　not　even　on　the　public　platform　which　she　adorned　so　well；　had　his　step…mother　reasoned　more　clearly　than　she　did　when　pointing　out　to　him　the　advantages　of　the　match。　It　was　not　that　Reggie　disliked　Maud。　He　admitted　that　she　was　a　〃topper〃；　on　several　occasions　going　so　far　as　to　describe　her　as　〃absolutely　priceless〃。　But　he　seemed　reluctant　to　ask　her　to　marry　him。　How　could　Lady　Caroline　know　that　Reggie's　entire　worldor　such　of　it　as　was　not　occupied　by　racing　cars　and　golfwas　filled　by　Alice　Faraday？　Reggie　had　never　told　her。　He　had　not　even　told　Miss　Faraday。
　〃Perhaps　at　this　very　moment；〃　went　on　Lady　Caroline；　〃the　dear　boy　is　proposing　to　her。〃
　Lord　Marshmoreton　grunted；　and　continued　to　peer　with　a　questioning　eye　in　the　awesome　brew　which　he　had　prepared　for　the　thrips。
　〃One　thing　is　very　satisfactory；〃　said　Lady　Caroline。　〃I　mean　that　Maud　seems　entirely　to　have　got　over　that　ridiculous　infatuation　of　hers　for　that　man　she　met　in　Wales　last　summer。　She　could　not　be　so　cheerful　if　she　were　still　brooding　on　that。　I　hope　you　will　admit　now；　John；　that　I　was　right　in　keeping　her　practically　a　prisoner　here　and　never　allowing　her　a　chance　of　meeting　the　man　again　either　by　accident　or　design。　They　say　absence　makes　the　heart　grow　fonder。　Stuff！　A　girl　of　Maud's　age　falls　in　and　out　of　love　half　a　dozen　times　a　year。　I　feel　sure　she　has　almost　forgotten　the　man　by　now。〃
　〃Eh？〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton。　His　mind　had　been　far　away；　dealing　with　green　flies。
　〃I　was　speaking　about　that　man　Maud　met　when　she　was　staying　with　Brenda　in　Wales。〃
　〃Oh；　yes！〃
　〃Oh；　yes！〃　echoed　Lady　Caroline　annoyed。　〃Is　that　the　only　ment　you　can　find　to　make？　Your　only　daughter　bees　infatuated　with　a　perfect　strangera　man　we　have　never　seenof　whom　we　know　nothing；　not　even　his　namenothing　except　that　he　is　an　American　and　hasn't　a　pennyMaud　admitted　that。　And　all　you　say　is　'Oh；　yes'！〃
　〃But　it's　all　over　now；　isn't　it？　I　understood　the　dashed　affair　was　all　over。〃
　〃We　hope　so。　But　I　should　feel　safer　if　Maud　were　engaged　to　Reggie。　I　do　think　you　might　take　the　trouble　to　speak　to　Maud。〃
　〃Speak　to　her？　I　do　speak　to　her。〃　Lord　Marshmoreton's　brain　moved　slowly　when　he　was　pre…occupied　with　his　roses。　〃We're　on　excellent　terms。〃
　Lady　Caroline　frowned　impatiently。　Hers　was　an　alert；　vigorous　mind；　bright