The Washington herald., 1907-10-09
CHAPTER III.

Sir Percy Carlyon had declined TO be
domiciled at the British Embassy, as Lord
Baudesert urged but took modest cham
bers close at hand. He found plenty TO
do and, although he was supposed to
be capable of bullying Lord Baudesert, It
was impossible to force the ambassador
20 a regular course OF work every day
Sir Percy. however. watched the chances
and succeeded in getting more out OF Lord
Baudesert than any one else had ever
done. Moreover, Sir Percy was a persona
grata to Mrs. Vereker and the three girls,
not that this mattered 20 Lord Baudesert
who, as far as women were concerned
was a natural and incurable bully and
buccaneer. Lord Baudesert was neither
bad tempered nor bad hearted, but IL
cannot 5e denied that he was a trying
person domesucally. It was in vain that
Sir Percy reminded his aunt and cousins
that Lord Baudesert had no power Of life
OF death over them and could not eat
them. Mrs Vereker was Mortified AT the
suggestion that she should exercise a
little personal liberty. and the three girls
thought Sir Percy slightly cracked when
he advised them 20 assert themselves
boldly in the presence Of their uncle. On
the whole, however, Sir Percy liked his
new outlook upon the world, and consid-
cred that he was now in the sunshine Of
good fortune.
Mrs Vereker, Jane. Sarah, and Isabella
worked hard in the society grind. and
Lord Baudesert was less lazy in social
than in official life. Sir Percy, up to the
evening Of the ball. had not paid a single
visit, except Of an official nature, but
on the Tuesday afternoon following he
put on a frock-cOat and started out
armed with his card case. In front Of
his own door he hesitated a moment to
think whether he should call on the
ChanTeys OF the Armytages. Ridiculous
to say Sir Percy had been haunted by the
remembrance of the airy grace, the Sc
ductive eyes Of this provincial cOquette-
for so he classified Lucy Armytage;
and. calling himself a great fool, he
turned his steps first toward the down
town hotel where the Armytages lived.
He began to reckon what Lucy's age
might be. She had a peculiar guileless-
ness of look and voice and manner which
seldom lasts beyond a girls twenty-first
birthday; yet he judged her to be not
less than twenty-five. One thing about
her. he admitted, was adorable-an OBJ
vious ignorance of evil, a lovely inno-
cence. which revealed itself readily TO the
experienced eyes of man OF the world
Sir Percy hated knowing women, and
that recalled Alicia Vernon. He doubted
if she, even as a young girl. had ever
been truly innocent in mind.
The afternoon was warm and bright,
though it was December, and carriages
full Of deliberately dressed women were
dashing about the streets and standing
in long lines before houses which were
open on that day. Sir Percy found.
when he reached the downtown hotel
that visitors were plentiful there also.
and thronged the halls and staircases.
He was shown up TO the great public
drawing-room. in which lights were al
ready blazing and where a bevy of
COngressmen's wives and daughters
were holding a joint reception. The huge
room was well filled, the ladies being
in the majority. Sir Percy. standing in
the doorway, was searching for Lucy
Armytage, when a hand was laid upon
his arm.
I am delighted to see you, Sir Percy"
said Col. Armytage. Lucy will be de-
lighted, too. She has talked about you
since she met you
II the uncle of an English girl had
confded to Sir Percy that she had talked
about him incessantly since their first
meeting Sir Percy would have thought
It time to ask for leave To hunt big
game III the Rockies. But, being a man
Of brains, he recognized the mental at
titude of Col. Armytage, and found him
self rather pleased at the thought that
this dark-eyed girl had chattered about
him Probably he was the first English
man OF his kind she had ever met The
next moment he was being introduced
to Mrs. ATmytage, q motherly soul. in
a black velvet gown. which was the
twin of Mrs. Vereker's robe of state,