midday delight?"

"Oh, yes. I hand them my shilling every morning when they come round,
and pouch tranquilly later on what they see fit to restore to me as the
result of that modest investment."

She laughed, and as she did so Laurence looked her full in the face. He
wanted to find out again what there could be in this girl that reduced
everybody to subjection so utter and complete. Was it in the swift flash
of the fringed eyes, in the sensuous attractiveness of a certain
swarthy, golden, mantling shade of colour which harmonized so well with
the bright clearness of the eyes, with the smooth serenity of the brow?
He could not determine; yet in that brief fraction of a moment, as he
looked, he was uneasily conscious of a certain magnetic thrill
communicating itself even to him.

"You are stronger-minded than I am," she said. "I'm afraid I bet
shockingly at times."

"Well, whenever I do I invariably lose, which is a first rate curative
to any temptation towards that especial form of dissipation."

"Look now, Mr. Stanninghame, I'm going to take you to task," she went
on. "Why won't you ever help us in getting up anything?"

"But I do help you."

"You do? Why, there was that concert the other night--you refused when
you were asked to take part in it."

"But I did take part in it--as audience. You must have an audience, you
know. It's essential to the performance."

"Don't be provoking, now," she said, with a laugh which belied the
rebuke, for this sort of fencing delighted her. "You never take part in
our dances."

"Dances? Did you ever happen to notice the top of my head?"

"I don't think so," she replied, with a splutter of mirth, wondering
what whimsicality was coming next. "Why?"

"Only that its covering is getting rather thin, as no self-respecting
haircutter ever loses the opportunity of reminding me."

"That's nothing. Look at Mr. Dyson, for instance. Now he might say that.
Yet he is a most indefatigable dancer."

"Yes, and that ostrich-egg of his bobbing up and down above the gay and
giddy rout is one of the most ridiculous sights on earth. Are you urging
me to furnish a similar absurdity?"

"But you might do something to help amuse us. In fact, it is only your
duty."

"Hallo! Excuse me, Miss Ormskirk, but that's exactly what that fellow
Mac--Mac--something--I never can remember his name--the doctor, you
know--was trying to drive into me the other night. I told him I didn't
come on board this s