The daughter of the house exhibited signs of consternation. "He wants to see you," she repeated, falteringly. "He's in the library."
Having thus discharged her errand, she hastened to the front-door, which had been left open, and out to the steps, evidently with the intention of removing herself as soon and as far as possible from the vicinity of the library.
Eugene, visibly perturbed, followed her to the doorway of the room, and paused.
"Do you know the way?" he inquired, with a note of solemnity.
"Where?" Ariel had not risen.
"To the library."
"Of course," she said, beaming upon him. "I was about to ask you if you wouldn't speak to the Judge for me. This is such a comfortable old friend, this chair."
"Speak to him for you?" repeated the non-plussed Eugene.
She nodded cheerfully. "If I may trouble you. Tell him, certainly, I shall be glad to see him."
He threw a piteous glance after Mamie, who was now, as he saw, through the open door, out upon the lawn and beyond easy hailing distance. When he turned again to look at Ariel he discovered that she had shifted the position of her chair slightly, and was gazing out of the window with every appearance of cheerful meditation. She assumed so unmistakably that he had of course gone on her mission that, dismayed and his soul quaking, he could find neither an alternative nor words to explain to this dazzling lady that not he nor any other could bear such a message to Martin Pike.