ve been profoundly disturbed
by such a revelation, and she was. But here was the drive with Mr. Gilman
insisting on a monopoly of all her faculties. And on the top of
everything--Tommy with her strange gaze and tone! Tommy carefully hesitated
before replying.

"He lost his temper and left it in the middle--orchestra and conductor and
Xavier and all! And he swore he wouldn't play to-night."

"Nonsense!"

"Yes, he did."

"Who told you?"

Already the two women were addressing each other as foes.

"A man I know in the orchestra."

"Why didn't you tell us at once--when you came?"

"Well, I didn't want to spoil the luncheon. But of course I ought to have
done. You, at any rate, seeing your interest in the concert! I'm sorry."

"My interest in the concert?" Audrey objected.

"Well, my girl," said Tommy, half cajolingly and half threateningly, "you
aren't going to stand there and tell me to my face that you haven't put up
that concert for him?"

"Put up the concert! Put up the----" Audrey knew she was blushing.

"Paid for it! Paid for it!" said Tommy, with impatience.

CHAPTER XL

GENIUS AT BAY

Audrey got away from the group in front of the restaurant with stammering
words and crimson confusion. She ran. She stopped a taxi and stumbled into
it. There remained with her vividly the vision of the startled, entirely
puzzled face of Mr. Gilman, who in an instant had been transformed from a
happy, dignified and excusably self-satisfied human male into an outraged
rebel whose grievance had overwhelmed his dignity. She had said hurriedly:
"Please excuse me not coming with you. But Tommy says something's happened
to Musa, and I must go and see. It's very important." And that was all she
had said. Had she asked him to drive her to Musa's, Mr. Gilman would have
been very pleased to do so; but she did not think of that till it was too
late. Her precipitancy had been terrible, and had staggered even Tommy. She
had no idea how the group would arrange itself. And she had no very clear
idea as to what was wrong with Musa or how matters stood in regard to the
concert. Tommy had asserted that she did not know whether the orchestra and
its conductor meant to be at their desks in the evening just as though
nothing whatever had occurred at the rehearsal. All was vague, and all was
disturbing. She had asked Tommy the authority for her assertion that she,
Audrey, was financing the concert. To which Tommy had replied that sh