He said this smiling so naturally and frankly that for a moment Arkright was puzzled. And Anikin had been quite honest in saying this. He could not have felt less cynical about the whole matter; at the same time he had not been able to help taking momentary enjoyment in Arkright's acute diagnosis of the case when it was put to him, and at his swift deciphering of the hieroglyphics and his skilful diagnosis, and he had not been able to help conveying the impression that he was taking a light-hearted view of the matter, when, in reality, he was perplexed and distressed beyond measure; for he still had no idea of what he was to do, and the threads of gossamer seemed to bind him more tightly than ever.
Anikin strolled away from Arkright, and as he walked towards the Pavilion he met Mrs. Roseleigh. She saw at a glance that he had a confidence to unload, and she determined to take the situation in hand, to say what she wanted to say to him before he would have time to say anything to her. After he had heard what she had to say he would no longer want to make any more confidences, and if he did, she would know how to deal with them. They strolled along the _Galeries_ till they reached a shady seat where they sat down.
"You are out early," he said, "I particularly wanted----"
"I particularly wanted to see you this morning," she said. "I wanted to talk to you about Lancelot Stukely. You know his story?"
"He likes her. He thinks she's a very good sort. So she is, but she's a lot of other things too."
"You know how he wanted to marry Kathleen Farrel?" she said, after a moment's pause.
"Yes," said Anikin, "I heard a little about it."
"Yes, but now it is possible. He's been left money," she explained. "He's quite well off, he could marry at once."
"Then why not? Because Miss Farrel does not like him?"
"Kathleen _does_ like him _really_; at least she would like him really--only--"
"There has been a misunderstanding," said Mrs. Roseleigh. She put an anxious note into her voice, slightly lowering it, and pressing down as it were the soft pedal of sympathy and confidential intimacy.
"They have both misunderstood, you see; and one misunderstanding has reacted on the other. Perhaps you don't know the whole story?"