"She is in a very nervous, excitable condition, Cousin Kate, which reacts on her heart action." Eleanor glanced despairingly at Mrs. Truxton. She knew the latter was an inveterate, though kindly, gossip. Apparently she had come to stay for some time, as she sat rocking gently to and fro, her curl papers making a formidable halo around her soft gray hair.
"Heart action?" echoed Mrs. Truxton. "That's as it may be. What was Captain Lane doing here?"
Eleanor started violently. She particularly wanted to keep the fact that Cynthia and Lane had been together a secret. She had watched for his arrival, and had let him in before he had an opportunity to ring the front door bell, and had shown him at once into the deserted drawing-room. During their interview she had mounted guard in the hall. Hearing Lane's call for assistance, she had opened the drawing-room door, and, before summoning her uncle and the servants, had advised Lane to leave the house. She supposed he had followed her advice.
"Where in the world did you see him?" she asked.
"So he was here!" Mrs. Truxton smiled delightedly, while Eleanor flushed with vexation as she realized she had given herself away unnecessarily. "Your uncle and Douglas were discussing politics, and I slipped away to remind Nicodemus to put some sandwiches in my room, as I always want a late supper, particularly after so early a dinner. When I walked through the billiard room on my way to the library I happened to glance through the door leading into the hall, and was surprised to see a man standing by the hatrack. As he raised his head I thought I recognized Fred Lane--I wasn't quite sure, though, but before I could call his name he had vanished."
"I see." Eleanor came to a quick resolution. "You have probably heard, Cousin Kate," sitting down on the edge of her bed nearest the older woman, "that Fred Lane is very much in love with Cynthia." Mrs. Truxton nodded her head vigorously. "Eventually, after he had paid her a great deal of attention, they became engaged. Unfortunately"--Eleanor was feeling her way with care--"unfortunately they had a lover's quarrel. Cynthia refused to see Fred, and he finally came to me and asked me to arrange an interview, saying that he felt convinced, if given the opportunity, he could straighten out their misunderstanding."
