and clumsy informant. She might even meet Altiora, and have it from

her.

I can still recall thefeeling of sitting at my desk that night in

that large study of mine in Radnor Square, waiting for Margaret to

come home. It was oddly like thefeeling of a dentist's reception-

room; only it was for me to do the dentistry with clumsy, cruel

hands. I had left the door open so that she would come in to me.

Iheard her silken rustle on the stairs at last, and then she was in

the doorway. "May I come in?" she said.

"Do," I said, and turned round to her.

"Working?" she said.

"Hard," I answered. "Where have YOU been?"

"At the Vallerys'. Mr. Evesham was talking about you. They were

all talking. I don'tthink everybodyknew who I was. Just Mrs.

Mumble I'd been to them. Lord Wardenham doesn't like you."

"He doesn't."

"But they allfeel you're rather big, anyhow. Then I went on to

Park Lane tohear a new pianist and some other music at Eva's."

"Yes."

"Then I looked in at the Brabants' for some midnight tea before I

came on here. They'd got some writers-and Grant was there."

"You HAVE been flying round…"

There was a little pause between us.

I looked at her pretty, unsuspecting face, and at the slender grace

of her golden-robed body. What gulfs there were between us!

"You've been amused," I said.

"It's been amusing. You've been at the House?"

"The Medical Education Bill kept me."…

After all, why should I tell her? She'd got to a way of living that

fulfilled her requirements. Perhaps she'd neverhear. But all that

day and the day before I'd been making up mymind to do the thing.

"I want to tell you something," I said. "I wish you'd sit down for

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