Roberta was quite sure that her invitation and that of Mr Croft was a piece of artful management on the part of the old lady, and imagined, though she was not quite sure about it, that it was intended as a bit of match-making.

To get her married to somebody else, would be, of course, the best possible method of preventing her marrying Junius; and this, she had reason to believe, was the prime object of old Mrs Keswick's existence.

But why should Mr Croft be chosen as the man with whom she was to be thrown.

She had learned that the old lady had seen him before, but was quite certain that her acquaintance with him was slight.

Could Junius have told his aunt about the friendship between herself and Mr Croft?
It was not like him, but a great many unlikely things take place.
As for Lawrence, he knew very well there was a trick beneath his invitation, but he could not at all make out why it had been played.