"Is she engaged to be married?" he asked. "Is Miss Holland engaged?"

Chillingworth shook his head.

"No," he said, "not engaged. We knew that by tea-time the same day,
Provin. Well, St. George?"

St. George drew a long breath.

"By Jove, I don't know," he said, "it's a stunning story. It's the
best story I ever remember, excepting those two or three that have
hung fire for so long. Next to knowing just why old Ennis
disinherited his son at his marriage, I would like to ferret out
this."

"Now, tut, St. George," Amory put in tolerantly, "next to doing
exactly what you will be doing all this week you'd rather ferret out
this."

"On my honour, no," St. George protested eagerly, "I mean quite what
I say. I might go on fearfully about it. Lord knows I'm going to see
the day when I'll do it, too, and cut my troubles for the luck of
chasing down a bully thing like this."

If there was anything to forgive, every one forgave him.

"But give up ten minutes on _The Aloha_," Amory skeptically put it,
adjusting his pince-nez, "for anything less than ten minutes on _The
Aloha_?"