to talk even to Nick, and, moreover, she did not want Nick to
know that Mr. Gilman was calling upon her.

Miss Nickall was innocent and sweet. Good nature radiated from her soft,
tired features, and was somehow also entangled in her fluffy grey hair. She
kissed Audrey with affection.

"I've just come to say good-bye, you dear!" she said, sitting down and
putting her check parasol across her knees. "How lovely you look!"

"Good-bye?" Audrey questioned. "Do I?"

"I have to cross for England to-night. I've had my orders. Rosamund came
this morning. What about yours?"

"Oh!" said Audrey. "I don't take orders. But I expect I shall join in, one
of these days, when I've had everything explained to me properly. You see,
you and I haven't got the same tastes, Nick. You aren't happy without a
martyrdom. I am."

Nick smiled gravely and uncertainly.

"It's very serious this time," said she. "Hasn't Rosamund spoken to you
yet?"

"She's spoken to me. And I've spoken to her. It was deuce, I should say. Or
perhaps my 'vantage. Anyhow, I'm not moving just yet."

"Well, then," said Nick, "if you're staying in Paris, I hope you'll keep an
eye on Musa. He needs it. Tommy's going away. At least I fancy she is. We
both went to see him this morning."

"Both of you!"

"Well, you see, we've always looked after him. He was in a terrible state
about last night. That's really one reason why I called. Not that I'd have
gone without kissing you----"

She stopped. There was another ring at the bell. The attendant came in with
great rapidity.

"I'm lost!" thought Audrey, disgusted and perturbed. "Her being here will
spoil everything."

But the attendant handed her a card, and the card bore the name of Musa.
Audrey flushed. Almost instinctively, without thinking, she passed the card
to Nick.

"My land!" exclaimed Nick. "If he sees me here he'll think I've come on
purpose to talk about him and pity him, and he'll be just perfectly
furious. Can I get out any other way?" She glanced interrogatively at the
half-open door of the bedroom.

"But I don't want to see him, either!" Audrey protested.

"Oh! You must! He'll listen to sense from you, perhaps. Can I go this way?"

Impelled to act in spite of herself, Audrey took Nick into the bedroom, and
as soon as Musa had been introduced into the drawing-room she embraced Nick
in silence and escorted her on tiptoe through Miss Ingate's bedroom to the
vestibule and waved an adieu. Then she r