 could never reproach me
as you have done unless some woman who is my enemy had prompted you.
Your father has written to you, that I know; but you are not the man to
be the slave of paternal warnings.  No," she said harshly, "it is a
woman who has drawn you away from me.  I swear not to rest till I have
found out the truth!"

When she showed her _griffes_, this bright _capricieuse_, the leader of
the smartest set in town, was, he knew, merciless.

But at that moment he only smiled at her sudden outburst of jealousy.

"I have already spoken the truth," he said.  "I have never yet lied to
you."

"Never, until to-day," was her sharp retort.  "I suppose you think that,
because of your responsible official position, you ought now to develop
into the old fogey, marry some scraggy girl with red hair and half a
million, and settle down to sober statesmanship and the Carlton.  As you
have found the future partner of your joys, you think it high time to
drop an undesirable acquaintance."

Her words were hard ones, spoken in a tone of biting sarcasm.  In an
instant his countenance grew serious.

"No, Claudia," he protested quickly.  "You entirely misjudge me.  I have
neither the intention nor the inclination to marry.  Moreover, I confess
to you that I am becoming rather tired of the everlasting monotony of
the House.  The scraggy female with the red hair, who, according to your
gospel, is to be the _chatelaine_ of Wroxeter, is still unselected.  No.
You have not understood me, and have formed entirely wrong conclusions
as to my motive in speaking as I have.  I repeat that the step I am now
taking is one for our mutual advantage.  People may talk about us in
Belgravia, but they must not in Battersea."

"And you wish every one to know that we have quarrelled?" she said
petulantly.  He saw by her countenance that she was still puzzled.  Was
it possible that she was thinking of the unknown Muriel, whom she had
declared he must marry?

As a matchmaker, Claudia was certainly entering upon an entirely new
_role_.

"We shall not q