nce it rebounded, staining his shirt front.

Barbara laughed, that happy, delightful little laugh of hers, presumably
at the accident with the knife. Whether or no she "minded" did not
appear, only she handed her handkerchief, a costly, last-fringed trifle,
to Alan to wipe the gravy off his shirt, which he took thinking it was
a napkin, and as she did so, touched his hand with a little caressing
movement of her fingers. Whether this was done by chance or on purpose
did not appear either. At least it made Alan feel extremely happy. Also
when he discovered what it was, he kept that gravy-stained handkerchief,
nor did she ever ask for it back again. Only once in after days when she
happened to come across it stuffed away in the corner of a despatch-box,
she blushed all over, and said that she had no idea that any man could
be so foolish out of a book.

"Now that _you_ are really clear of it, I am going for them," she said
presently when the wiping process was finished. "I have only restrained
myself for your sake," and leaning back in her chair she stared at the
ceiling, lost in meditation.

Presently there came one of those silences which will fall upon
dinner-parties at times, however excellent and plentiful the champagne.

"Sir Robert Aylward," said Barbara in that clear, carrying voice of
hers, "will you, as an expert, instruct a very ignorant person? I want a
little information."

"Miss Champers," he answered, "am I not always at your service?" and
all listened to hear upon what point their hostess desired to be
enlightened.

"Sir Robert," she went on calmly, "everyone here is, I believe, what
is called a financier, that is except myself and Major Vernon, who only
tries to be and will, I am sure, fail, since Nature made him something
else, a soldier and--what else did Nature make you, Alan?"

As he vouchsafed no answer to question, although Sir Robert muttered an
uncomplimentary one between his lips which Barbara heard, or read, she
continued:

"And you are all very rich and successful, are you not, and are going to
be much richer and much more successful--next week. Now what I want to
ask you is--how is it done?"

"Accepting the premises for the sake of argument, Miss Champers,"
replied Sir Robert, who felt that he could not refuse the challenge,
"the answer is that it is done by finance."

"I am still in the dark," she said. "Finance, as I have heard of it,
means floating companies, and companies are flo