cured, this has become a highly improper
situation. Don't you think we had better postpone this discussion to a
more suitable moment?"

Max was openly laughing into her face of distress. She suddenly felt
abundantly reassured. He could not--surely--look and speak like this if
he dreamed of wooing her in earnest!

"I don't want any discussion," she hastened to tell him. "Only--please,
do go and tell Major Hunt-Goring that--that--there's been a mistake,
and--in short--"

"In short that you've thrown me over?" said Max. "Oh, thanks, no! You
can tell him that--if you wish!"

"He must be told," she said.

"I don't see why." Max smiled upon her with good-natured indulgence.
"Have you suddenly taken fright at something?" he asked.

She smiled also, but a little anxiously. "I'm afraid it wasn't a very
wise move after all. I want to put an end to it."

"You can't put an end to an engagement that doesn't exist," he said.
"You will have to wait till I propose, and then you can go and tell
everyone--including Hunt-Goring--that you have said No."

It was impossible to treat the matter seriously. She had a feeling that
he was deliberately restraining her from so doing, deliberately offering
her an easy means of escape from her own indiscretion. She seized upon
it, eager to convince him that she had never deemed him in earnest.

"Do propose soon then!" she said. "And let us get it over!"

He turned to the door. "Given a suitable opportunity," he said, "if
shall be done to-night."

"To-night!" she echoed sharply.

She caught the mocking gleam of his eyes for an instant, and her heart
misgave her.

"Really, Max!" she said, in a tone of protest.

"Yes, really," said Max. "Good-bye!"

He was gone. She heard him stride away down the passage, and go
downstairs. A little later she heard the banging of the surgery-door and
the sound of his feet on the gravel. They passed under her window. They
paused.

"Olga," he called up to her, "do you mind if a pal of mine comes to
lunch?"

Her heart gave a great jolt at the sound of his voice. She swallowed
twice before she found her own.

"Who is it?" she called then.

"Someone very nice," he assured her, and she caught a laugh in the
words. "Someone you'll like."

"Anyone I know?" she asked.

"No."

She heard him strike a match to light a cigarette. He would not be
looking upwards then. Impulse moved her. She left her bed and went to
the window.

He was standing immedi