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〃Yes； there is； when you've got a girl like Lottie to deal with。 Quite
likely she would ask him herself。 We must take him because we can't
leave her。〃
〃Yes； I reckon；〃 the judge acquiesced。
〃I'm glad；〃 Mrs。 Kenton said； after a moment； 〃that it isn't Ellen he's
after； it almost reconciles me to his being with Lottie so much。 I only
wonder he doesn't take to Ellen； he's so much like that〃
She did not say out what was in her mind； but her husband knew。 〃Yes；
I've noticed it。 This young Breckon was quite enough so； for my taste。
I don't know what it is that just saves him from it。〃
〃He's good。 You could tell that from the beginning。〃
They went off upon the situation that； superficially or subliminally；
was always interesting them beyond anything in the world； and they did
not openly recur to Mrs。 Kenton's plan for the day till they met their
children at breakfast。 It was a meal at which Breckon and Trammel were
both apt to join them； where they took it at two of the tables on the
broad； seaward piazza of the hotel when the weather was fine。 Both the
young men now applauded her plan； in their different sorts。 It was
easily arranged that they should go by train and not by tram from The
Hague。 The train was chosen； and Mrs。 Kenton； when she went to her room
to begin the preparations for a day's pleasure which constitute so
distinctly a part of its pain； imagined that everything was settled。 She
had scarcely closed the door behind her when Lottie opened it and shut it
again behind her。
〃Mother；〃 she said； in the new style of address to which she was
habituating Mrs。 Kenton； after having so long called her momma； 〃I am not
going with you。〃
〃Indeed you are； then！〃 her mother retorted。 〃Do you think I would
leave you here all day with that fellow？ A nice talk we should make！〃
〃You are perfectly welcome to that fellow； mother； and as he's accepted
he will have to go with you； and there won't be any talk。 But； as I
remarked before； I am not going。〃
〃Why aren't you going； I should like to know？〃
〃Because I don't like the company。〃
〃What do you mean？ Have you got anything against Mr。 Breckon？〃
〃He's insipid； but as long as Ellen don't mind it I don't care。 I object
to Mr。 Trannel！〃
〃Why？〃
I don't see why I should have to tell you。 If I said I liked him you
might want to know； but it seems to me that my not liking him is my not
liking him is my own affair。〃 There was a kind of logic in this that
silenced Mrs。 Kenton for the moment。 In view of her advantage
Lottie relented so far as to add； 〃I've found out something about him。〃
Mrs。 Kenton was imperative in her alarm。 〃What is it？〃 she demanded。
Lottie answered； obliquely： 〃Well； I didn't leave The Hague to get rid of
them； and then take up with one of them at Scheveningen。〃
〃One of what？〃
〃COOK'S TOURISTS； if you must know； mother。 Mr。 Trannel； as you call
him； is a Cook's tourist； and that's the end of it。 I have got no use
for him from this out。〃
Mrs。 Kenton was daunted； and not for the first time； by her daughter's
superior knowledge of life。 She could put Boyne down sometimes； though
not always； when be attempted to impose a novel code of manners or morals
upon her； but she could not cope with Lottie。 In the present case she
could only ask； 〃Well？〃
〃Well； they're the cheapest of the cheap。 He actually showed me his
coupons； and tried to put me down with the idea that everybody used them。
But I guess he found it wouldn't work。 He said if you were not
personally conducted it was all right。〃
〃Now； Lottie； you have got to tell me just what you mean；〃 said Mrs。
Kenton； and from having stood during this parley； she sat down to hear
Lottie out at her leisure。 But if there was anything more difficult than
for Lottie to be explicit it was to make her be so； and in the end Mrs。
Kenton was scarcely wiser than she was at the beginning to her daughter's
reasons。 It appeared that if you wanted to be cheap you could travel
with those coupons； and Lottie did not wish to be cheap； or have anything
to do with those who were。 The Kentons had always held up their heads；
and if Ellen had chosen to disgrace them with Bittridge； Dick had made it
all right； and she at least was not going to do anything that she would
be ashamed of。 She was going to stay at home； and have her meals in her
room till they got back。
Her mother paid no heed to her repeated declaration。 〃Lottie；〃 she
asked； with the heart…quake that the thought of Richard's act always gave
her with reference to Ellen； 〃have you ever let out the least hint of
that？〃
〃Of course I haven't；〃 Lottie scornfully retorted。 I hope I know what a
crank Ellen is。〃
They were not just the terms in which Mrs。 Kenton would have chosen to be
reassured； but she was glad to be assured in any terms。 She said；
vaguely： 〃I believe in my heart that I will stay at home； too。 All this
has given me a bad headache。〃
〃I was going to have a headache myself；〃 said Lottie； with injury。
〃But I suppose I can get on along without。 I can just simply say I'm not
going。 If he proposes to stay； too； I can soon settle that。〃
〃The great difficulty will be to get your father to go。〃
〃You can make Ellen make him；〃 Lottie suggested。
〃That is true；〃 said Mrs。 Kenton； with such increasing absence that her
daughter required of her：
〃Are you staying on my account？〃
〃I think you had better not be left alone the whole day。 But I am not
staying on your account。 I don't believe we had so many of us better go。
It might look a little pointed。〃
Lottie laughed harshly。 〃I guess Mr。 Breckon wouldn't see the point；
he's so perfectly gone。〃
〃Do you really believe it； Lottie？〃 Mrs。 Kenton entreated； with a sudden
tenderness for her younger daughter such as she did not always feel。
〃I should think anybody would believe itanybody but Ellen。〃
〃Yes；〃 Mrs。 Kenton dreamily assented。
Lottie made her way to the door。 〃Well； if you do stay； mother； I'm not
going to have you hanging round me all day。 I can chaperon myself。〃
〃Lottie；〃 her mother tried to stay her； 〃I wish you would go。 I don't
believe that Mr。 Trannel will be much of an addition。 He will be on your
poor father's hands all day； or else Ellen's； and if you went you could
help off。〃
〃Thank you； mother。 I've had quite all I want of Mr。 Trannel。 You can
tell him he needn't go； if you want to。〃
Lottie at least did not leave her mother to make her excuses to the party
when they met for starting。 Mrs。 Kenton had deferred her own till she
thought it was too late for her husband to retreat； and then bunglingly
made them； with so much iteration that it seemed to her it would have
been far less pointed； as concerned Mr。 Breckon； if she had gone。 Lottie
sunnily announced that she was going to stay with her mother； and did not
even try to account for her defection to Mr。 Trannel。
〃What's the matter with my staying； too？〃 he asked。 〃It seems to me
there are four wheels to this coach now。〃
He had addressed his misgiving more to Lottie than the rest； but with the
same sunny indifference to the consequence for others that she had put on
in stating her decision； she now discharged herself from further
responsibility by turning on her heel and leaving it with the party
generally。 In the circumstances Mr。 Trannel had no choice but to go；
and he was supported； possibly； by the hope of taking it out of Lottie
some other time。
It was more difficult for Mrs。 Kenton to get rid of the judge； but an
inscrutable frown goes far in such exigencies。 It seems to explain； and
it certainly warns； and the husband on whom it is bent never knows； even
after the longest experience； whether he had better inquire further。
Usually he decides that he had better not； and Judge Kenton went off
towards the tram with Boyne in the cloud of mystery which involved them
both as to Mrs。 Kenton's meaning。
XXIII。
Trannel attached himself as well as he could to Breckon and Ellen； and
Breckon had an opportunity not fully offered him before to note a
likeness between himself and a fellow…man whom he was aware of not
liking； thoug