k looked grave.

"You are not envying her?" he asked.

"Not in the least, as long as I too am taken out sometimes."

Laverick smiled and sat on the arm of her chair.

"Miss Zoe," he said, "I have come because you told me to, just to
prove, you see, that I am not in the toils of Mademoiselle Idiale.
But do you know that it is half past one? I must not stay here any
longer."

She sighed once more.

"You are right," she admitted, "but it is so lonely. I have never
been here without May and her mother. I have never slept alone in
the house before the other night. If I had known that they were
going away, I should never have dared to come here."

"It is too bad," he declared. "Couldn't you get one of the other
girls to stay with you?"

She shook her head.

"There are one or two whom I would like to have," she said, "but
they are all living either at home or with relatives. The others I
am afraid about. They seem to like to sit up so late and--"

"You are quite right," he interrupted hastily,--"quite right. You
are better alone. But you ought to have a servant."

She laughed.

"On two pounds fifteen a week?" she asked. "You must remember that
I could not even live here, only I have practically no rent to pay."

He fidgeted for a moment.

"Miss Zoe," he said, "I am perfectly serious when I tell you that I
have money which should go to your brother. Why will you not let me
alter your arrangements just a little? I cannot bear to think of
you here all alone."

"It is very kind of you," she answered doubtfully; "but please, no.
Somehow, I think that it would spoil everything if I accepted that
sort of help from you. If you have any money of Arthur's, keep it
for a time and I think when you write him--I do not want to seem
grasping--but I think if he has any to spare you might suggest that
he does give me just a little. I have never had anything from him
at all. Perhaps he does not quite understand how hard it is for me.

"I will do that, of course," Laverick answered, "but I wish you
would let me at least pay over a little of what I consider due to
you. I will take the responsibility for it. It will come from him
and not from me."

She remained unconvinced.

"I would rather wait," she said. "If you really want to give me
something, I will let you--out of my brother's money, of course,
I mean," she added. "I haven't anything saved at all, or I wouldn't
have that. But one day you shall ta