"I will do you the justice, Mr. Alston, to believe that you did not
anticipate this meeting?"

"You will only be doing me justice if you do not believe it," Hugh said.

The girl bent her proud head. "I did not know that you were a friend of
General Bartholomew's?"

"Nor I till to-day, Miss Meredyth."

"I don't understand."

Hugh explained that he had not seen the General since he was a child,
till the General had unearthed him at the Northborough Hotel that
afternoon.

Joan frowned. Why had the General done that? Why had he, not three
minutes ago, patted her on the shoulder, smiled on her, and told her to
run down and wait for him in the drawing-room? Suddenly her face burned
with a glowing colour. It seemed as if all the world were in league
together against her. But this time this man was surely innocent. She
had seen the look of astonishment on his face, and knew it for no
acting.

"I came here yesterday," she said quietly, "in response to a warm
invitation from the General, who was my father's friend."

"My father's too!"