"I have been longer in the cave, and perhaps I have peered too much
through cave-spectacles."

Morewood looked at him for a moment.

"I'm sorry if I've been rude, Bishop," he said more quietly, "but a man
must say what he thinks."

"Not at all times," said the Bishop; and he turned pointedly to Mrs.
Lane and began to discuss indifferent matters.

Morewood looked round with a discontented air. Miss Chambers was
mortally angry with him and had turned to Bob Territon, whom she was
trying to persuade to come to a bazaar at Bellminster on the Monday. Bob
was recalcitrant, and here too the atmosphere became a little disturbed.
The only people apparently content were Kate and Haddington and Lady
Claudia and Stafford. To the rest it was a relief when Mrs. Lane gave
the signal to rise.

Matters improved, however, in the drawing-room. The Bishop and Stafford
were soon deep in conversation; and Claudia, thus deprived of her former
companion, condescended to be very gracious to Mr. Morewood, in the
secret hope that that eccentric genius would make her the talk of the
studios next summer by painting her portrait. Haddington and Bob had
vanished with cigars; and Eugene looking round and seeing that all was
peace, said to himself in an access of dutifulness. "Now for it!" and
crossed over to where Kate sat, and invited her to accompany him into
the garden.

Kate acquiesced, but showed little other sign of relaxing her attitude