house; they asked me down there."

Soames coughed: the news was distasteful to him. "What's his wife
like now?"

"Very quiet, but nice, I think."

Soames coughed again. "He's a rackety chap, your cousin Val."

"Oh! no, Father; they're awfully devoted. I promised to go--
Saturday to Wednesday next."

"Training race-horses!" said Soames. It was bad enough, but not
the reason for his distaste. Why the deuce couldn't his nephew
have stayed out in South Africa? His own divorce had been bad
enough, without his nephew's marriage to the daughter of the co-
respondent; a half-sister too of June, and of that boy whom Fleur
had just been looking at from under the pump-handle. If he didn't
look out, Fleur would come to know all about that old disgrace!
Unpleasant things! They were round him this afternoon like a swarm
of bees!

"I don't like it!" he said.

"I want to see the race-horses," murmured Fleur; "and they've
promised I shall ride. Cousin Val can't walk much, you know; but
he can ride perfectly. He's going to show me their gallops."

"Racing!" said Soames. "It's a pity the War didn't knock that on
the head. He's taking after his father, I'm afraid."