peated what he had said. He was perfectly certain that Sir Tobias
had heard the first time. "She's not the woman we thought her." And he
added, "There's been some mistake. She hasn't and never did have any
designs on Adair. After we'd talked things over, she agreed of her own
accord never to see him again."

"She did!" There was a long pause, expressive of skepticism,
dissatisfaction, or anything that he cared to conjecture. Then, "When we
meet, you can tell me. But that wasn't what I called you up about."

Tabs waited for him to tell him why he had called him up. He waited so
long that it seemed to be a competition to see who would compel the
other to break the silence first. At last he gave in. "If that wasn't
why, why did you?"

He almost heard Sir Tobias blink his eyes--those faded eyes that looked
so blind and saw so much. "I called you up about this General
Braithwaite. He's been here to see me on the biggest fool's errand, with
the most unusual story which, if it's true, partly concerns yourself.
It's too late to enter into details this evening. But I thought I'd let
you know---- Good night."

"One minute, Sir Tobias----"

Before he could get any further Sir Tobias had hung up. For a few
seconds he sat there in the darkness listening; then he hung up also and
took himself off to bed.

What object had Braithwaite had in going to see Sir Tobias? Was it his
first step in trying to play fair? Was his "fool's errand" a formal
request for Terry's hand in marriage and his "unusual story" a manly
recital of the facts? And had this great advance in frankness included
the telling of Ann? As he tossed sleeplessly from side to side, other
problems leapt up to confront him. Had he done wisely in promising
Maisie that, in a measure, he would compensate her for the loss of
Adair? What would Sir Tobias think of such an intimacy when he got to
hear of it? What would even Adair think of it? There was only one person
who would not doubt his integrity; that was Terry. And then Lady
Dawn--had he actually any moral right to interfere in her affairs? "Do
it harder; I can bear more than that." He could hear her saying it in
that deep, emotional voice of hers. He could feel her honest stone-gray
eyes, probing his soul for motives in the darkness.

Day was breaking and birds were stirring in the mist of greenness that
topped his windows, before his eye-lids closed and he slipped off into
forgetfulness.

V

"To-morrow's anoth