ense to appreciate what he's
offering." She raised her eyes to his with a slow smile. "Don't mistake
me, Lord Taborley, I'm not trying to secure what you're offering for
myself."

He began to see the drift of her argument. Before he could formulate it,
she herself had put it into words. "Can't we do a little missionary
work, you and I, by appreciating each other just a little?"

Flinging prejudices to the winds, he took a place beside her on the
couch. Why shouldn't he? Why should he go on conserving himself so
scrupulously for a girl who didn't value his loyalty?

"I should consider it a privilege to be appreciated by you," he said
gravely. "But let's start properly. How about dinner at the Berkeley?
After that, if you felt like it, we could do a theatre. Would that suit
you?"

* * * * *

It was close on midnight when they returned to Mulberry Tree Court. Not
until he was handing her out of the taxi and Porter was standing framed
in the open doorway, did he remember that he'd imparted none of his
important news concerning Adair.

"About Adair----" he commenced. "Or shall I put him off till to-morrow?"

"Till forever." As her feet touched the pavement, she swung around on
him with laughter. They had been very happy in the last six hours. She
pressed close against him. He caught the sparkle of her eyes as he
stooped above her and the faint, sweet fragrance of her hair. She rested
an ungloved hand on his arm. It looked dim like a large white moth that
had settled there.

"I have few principles to guide me," she whispered, "but the few that I
have I observe. I never dig up my dead and I never botanize on the
graves of the past. Good-night. Merry dreams to you, Lord Taborley."

With the suddenness of a phantom she went from him. There were a brief
few seconds while he heard the ripple of her laughter and the rustling
of her dress. Then the door closed. Save for the lamps of the waiting
taxi night was again eventless and dark.

VI

That evening was the first of many such adventures. His tall limping
figure became a familiar sight in Mulberry Tree Court.

Very early in their friendship he took her advice and delighted her by
purchasing a smart two-seater runabout which he drove himself. Sometimes
it was at her door shortly after breakfast to transport her to where
saddle-horses were waiting in the Park. Sometimes it would turn up about
lunch-time and stand impatiently chugging w