The telephone message which had reached her had been from Lord Donald's butler--not even from Lord Donald himself!--and had been to the effect that "his lordship" asked him to say that he had been obliged to go to Scotland for a fortnight, and was very sorry he had not been able to answer Miss Pitstone's telegram before starting.

Helena's cheeks were positively smarting under the humiliation of it.

Donald _daring_ to send her a message through a servant, when she had telegraphed to him! For of course it was all a lie as to his having left town--one could tell that from the butler's voice.

He had been somehow frightened by Cousin Philip, and was revenging himself by rudeness to _her_.

She seemed to hear "Jim" and his intimates discussing the situation.