elf to the journey--indeed, when the time came
she undertook it more carelessly than she had undertaken the venture of
Marlingate. Her one thought was of Albert, and she gave over Ansdore
almost nonchalantly to her carter and her looker, and abandoned Ellen to
Tip Ernley with scarcely a doubt as to her moral welfare.

Bertie met her at Charing Cross, and escorted her the rest of the way.
He found it hard to realize that she had never been to London before,
and it annoyed him a little. It would have been all very well, he told
himself, in a shy village maiden of eighteen, but in a woman of Joanna's
age and temperament it was ridiculous. However, he was relieved to find
that she had none of the manners of a country cousin. Her
self-confidence prevented her being flustered by strange surroundings;
her clothes were fashionable and well-cut, though perhaps a bit too
showy for a woman of her type, she tipped lavishly, and was not afraid
of porters. Neither did she, as he had feared at first, demand a
four-wheeler instead of a taxi. On the contrary, she insisted on driving
all the way to Lewisham, instead of taking another train, and enlarged
on the five-seater touring car she would buy when she had won her Case.

"I hope to goodness you will win it, ole girl," said Bertie, as he
slipped his arm round her--"I've a sort of feeling that you ought to
touch wood."

"I'll win it if there's justice in England."

"But perhaps there ain't."

"I _must_ win," repeated Joanna doggedly. "You see, it was like
this ..."

Not for the first time she proceeded to recount the sale of Donkey
Street and the way she had applied the money. He wished she wouldn't
talk about that sort of thing the first hour they were together.

"I quite see, darling," he exclaimed in the middle of the narrative, and
shut her mouth with a kiss.

"Oh, Bertie, you mustn't."

"Why not?"

"We're in a cab--people will see."

"They won't--they can't see in--and I'm not going to drive all this way
without kissing you."

He took hold of her.

"I won't have it--it ain't seemly."

But he had got a good hold of her, and did as he liked.

Joanna was horrified and ashamed. A motor-bus had just glided past the
cab and she felt that the eyes of all the occupants were upon her. She
managed to push Albert away, and sat very erect beside him, with a red
face.

"It ain't seemly," she muttered under her breath.

Bertie was vexed with her. He assumed an attitude in