Aloud she said:

"I married you because I was in love with you, of course."

"In love with me? But what could you see in me?"

"If you ask me that, Jeremy, I really don't know. You were such a change so different from all Father's crowd. You never talked about horses for one thing. You've no idea how sick I was of horses - and what the odds were likely to be for the Newmarket Cup! You came to dinner one night - do you remember? - and I sat next to you and asked you what bimetallism was, and you told me - really told me! It took the whole of dinner - six courses - we were in funds at the moment and had a French chef!"

"It must have been extremely boring," said Jeremy.

"It was fascinating! Nobody had ever treated me seriously before. And you were so polite and yet never seemed to look at me or think I was nice or good looking or anything. It put me on my mettle. I swore I'd make you notice me."

Jeremy Cloade said grimly: "I noticed you all right. I went home that evening and didn't sleep a wink. You had a blue dress with cornflowers..."

There was silence for a moment or two, then Jeremy cleared his throat.

"Er - all that is a long time ago..."

She came quickly to the rescue of his embarrassment.

"And we're now a middle-aged married couple in difficulties, looking for the best way out."

"After what you've just told me, Frances, it makes it a thousand times worse that this - this disgrace -"

She interrupted him.

"Let us please get things clear. You are being apologetic because you've fallen foul of the law. You may be prosecuted - go to prison." (He winced.) "I don't want that to happen. I'll fight like anything to stop it, but don't credit me with moral indignation. We're not a moral family, remember. Father, in spite of his attractiveness, was a bit of a crook. And there was Charles - my cousin. They hushed it up and he wasn't prosecuted, and they hustled him off to the Colonies. And there was my cousin Gerald - he forged a cheque at Oxford. But he went to fight and got a posthumous V.C. for complete bravery and devotion to his men and superhuman endurance. What I'm trying to say is people are like that - not quite bad or quite good. I don't suppose I'm particularly straight myself - I have been because there hasn't been any temptation to be otherwise. But what I have got is plenty of courage and -" (she smiled at him) "I'm loyal!"

"My dear!" He got up and came over to her. He stooped and put his lips to her hair.

"And now," said Lord Edward Trenton's daughter, smiling up at him,

"what are we going to do? Raise money somehow?"

Jeremy's face stiffened.

"I don't see how."