l much later, as was possible, even probable! She
had surely been rather selfish in her desire to do something quickly for
Beryl. There was no such terrible hurry about the matter.

An overwhelming desire to postpone things took hold of her. She wanted
to have time to think over how she would put it to Seymour. Would not it
perhaps be possible to obtain his help for Beryl without telling him the
whole truth about Arabian? She might just say that she knew the man was
a blackguard without saying why she knew. There was perhaps no need to
be absolutely explicit. Seymour would take it from her without asking
awkward questions. He was the least curious of men. He would probably
much rather not know the truth. It would be as horrible for him to hear
it as for her to tell it. But she must have time to think carefully over
how she would put it to him. Yes, she must have time. Better to see him
to-morrow morning.

A quarter-past eleven!

It would really be monstrous to drag Seymour out to have a long
confabulation about a girl whom he scarcely knew, and could have no
interest in, at this time of night.

And she turned from the fire and went decisively towards the door.
She would go down at once and telephone to Seymour's apartment in St.
James's Palace cancelling her request to his manservant.

She found Murgatroyd waiting in the hall. He looked faintly surprised at
seeing her.

"Oh, Murgatroyd!" she said. "It's getting so late that I've decided to
put off Sir Seymour till to-morrow. I'm just going to telephone now. So
you needn't sit up any longer."

"Very well, my lady."

"Good night."

"Good night, my lady."

"I'll turn out the lights when I go up."

"Shan't I--"

"No--you needn't. Good night."

She went into the writing-room and shut the door behind her. The thought
of the intense relief she would feel directly she had spoken through the
telephone and put off Seymour, directly it was settled that he was not
to come and see her that night, sent her straight to the telephone. She
was eager to communicate with his servant. But she wished now intensely
that she had not waited so long. She might possibly be too late. Seymour
might have returned home, had her message, and started for Berkeley
Square. She took the receiver in her hand and was just going to speak
when she heard a cab outside in the Square. She listened. It came up and
stopped at her door.

That was Seymour! She was certain of it. She put the recei