“I didn’t come to meet you because I knew Elizabeth wanted to show off in the pony-trap,” he explained. “Besides which I was horribly busy.”

Elizabeth could not choke the feeling that it was rude of Stephen to have said that. Mr. Hengist evidently didn’t think so, but he, like Stephen, had a different standard of politeness.

He and Stephen played golf next morning, but in the afternoon when Stephen was at work, he came and sat beside Elizabeth under the elm-tree, and smoked.

For some time Elizabeth watched him in silence; then at last she said.

“Do begin, Mr. Hengist! I know you’re going to talk.”

He turned his head and surveyed her in some surprise.

“That,” he said, “sounds most unlike you.”

“Yes, that’s why I said it,” Elizabeth answered naively.

“Well, it’ll do for my text,” he remarked, and settled himself deeper in his chair.

Elizabeth put down her needlework.

“So far so good,” Mr. Hengist said. “During the past year, my child, though you may not know it, you’ve been shedding the skin of hypocrisy. No, longer than that. Correctly speaking, the shedding process began with your marriage.”

Elizabeth looked at him wide-eyed.

“When you were quite a small kid,” Mr. Hengist went on, “you were Elizabeth pure and simple. After that you became Elizabeth-Anne. Do you see what I mean?”

“Yes, but I don’t know that I—”

“Probably not. What I want to know before I go any further is, Are you going to snub me if I say things detrimental to your aunt’s character?”

“Oh, I never snub—”

“That is Elizabeth-Anne,” said Mr. Hengist, to a cloud above him.

She had to laugh.

“No, I’m not going to snub you.”

“Thanks, Elizabeth. Your aunt is a reactionary. She belongs to a dead age, only she refused to see that it was dead, but instead tried to carry it on in the shape of yourself. No doubt she was actuated by the best of motives. Unfortunately she has a narrow mind, and you a pliant disposition. If, as a child, you had stuck to your own character your aunt would to-day be a very different woman. A strong-willed niece would have made her move along with the times. As it was, hers was the mastermind, and your character had to mould itself to hers. With women one must be top-dog and the other underdog. I discovered that quite early in life. Rather interesting. Are you listening to me?”

“Yes. I never heard anything like it before.”