"Confound the old coot!" he was telling himself. "He has me out on a limb. What will I do? How in——"
And then—rescue! A small person in a blue dress floated into the backwater.
"Oh, here's my nice man," she said, as she possessed herself of Pete's arm. "Bishop, let go of his hand. He's going to teach me that new vamp thing. Hurry, teacher; the music started ages ago."
And as Pete was towed out of the backwater by Arnold Gibbs's little girl the bishop and Aunt Caroline stared after him.
"I greatly fear," observed the bishop, "that our young friend is somewhat in the grip of predestinarianism."
"Bishop, you frighten me," said Aunt Caroline. "But I'll take it up with him in the morning."
When another partner had invaded the conservatory and claimed the little girl in the blue dress, Pete Stearns sighed.
"There goes the only one who doesn't suspect me," he said. "The only real little democrat in the place. Although it's only ignorance in her case, of course. Oh, well, it's not so bad; I'm doing better than Bill at that."
Somebody tapped him on the arm.
"I've been waiting for an opportunity," said Nell Norcross. "I do not wish to make a scene. But I understand that you are Mr. Marshall's valet. Is that correct?"