hbone-Sanders, and she had
sent it to Benham as she might have sent him a flower.

6

Benham re-entered the flat from which he had fled so precipitately with
three very definite plans in his mind. The first was to set out upon
his grand tour of the world with as little delay as possible, to shut
up this Finacue Street establishment for a long time, and get rid of
the soul-destroying perfections of Merkle. The second was to end his
ill-advised intimacy with little Mrs. Skelmersdale as generously and
cheerfully as possible. The third was to bring Lady Marayne into social
relations with the Wilder and Morris MENAGE at South Harting. It did not
strike him that there was any incompatibility among these projects or
any insurmountable difficulty in any of them until he was back in his
flat.

The accumulation of letters, packages and telephone memoranda upon his
desk included a number of notes and slips to remind him that both Mrs.
Skelmersdale and his mother were ladies of some determination. Even as
he stood turning over the pile of documents the mechanical vehemence of
the telephone filled him with a restored sense of the adverse will in
things. "Yes, mam," he heard Merkle's voice, "yes, mam. I will tell
him, mam. Will you keep possession, mam." And then in the doorway of the
study, "Mrs. Skelmersdale, sir. Upon the telephone, sir."

Benham reflected with various notes in his hand. Then he went to the
telephone.

"You Wicked Boy, where have you been hiding?"

"I've been away. I may have to go away again."

"Not before you have seen me. Come round and tell me all about it."

Benham lied about an engagement.

"Then to-morrow in the morning."... Impossible.

"In the afternoon. You don't WANT to see me." Benham did want to see
her.

"Come round and have a jolly little evening to-morrow night. I've got
some more of that harpsichord music. And I'm dying to see you. Don't you
understand?"

Further lies. "Look here," said Benham, "can you come and have a talk
in Kensington Gardens? You know the place, near that Chinese garden.
Paddington Gate...."

The lady's voice fell to flatness. She agreed. "But why not come to see
me HERE?" she asked.

Benham hung up the receiver abruptly.

He walked slowly back to his study. "Phew!" he whispered to himself.
It was like hitting her in the face. He didn't want to be a brute,
but short of being a brute there was no way out for him from this
entanglement. Why, oh! why th