Lord Valleys, relieved from official pressure by subsidence of the war scare, had returned for a long week-end.

To say that he had been intensely relieved by the news that Mrs.Noel was not free, would be to put it mildly.

Though not old-fashioned, like his mother-in-law, in regard to the mixing of the castes, prepared to admit that exclusiveness was out of date, to pass over with a shrug and a laugh those numerous alliances by which his order were renewing the sinews of war, and indeed in his capacity of an expert, often pointing out the dangers of too much in-breeding--yet he had a peculiar personal feeling about his own family, and was perhaps a little extra sensitive because of Agatha; for Shropton, though a good fellow, and extremely wealthy, was only a third baronet, and had originally been made of iron.

It was inadvisable to go outside the inner circle where there was no material necessity for so doing.

He had not done it himself.