d Diana, as she gave him back the
letter. "He must he a perfect gem amongst parents."

"He's not a bad old chap," acknowledged Jerry, as he replaced the
paternal invitation in his pocket-book. "But you see the difficulty? I
was going to ask Errington to give me a few days' leave, and I don't like
to bother him now that he has all this worry about Miss de Gervais on his
hands."

Diana flushed hotly at Jerry's tacit acceptance of the fact that
Adrienne's affairs were naturally of so much moment to her husband. It
was another pin-prick in the wound that had been festering for so long.
She ignored it, however, and answered quietly:--

"Yes, I see. Perhaps you had better leave it for a few days. What about
Pobs? He'll have to be consulted in the matter, won't he?"

"I told him, long ago, that I wanted Joan. Before"--with a grin--"I ever
summoned up pluck to tell Joan herself! He was a brick about it, but he
thought I ought to make it up with the governor before Joan and I were
formally engaged. So I did--and I'm jolly glad of it. And now I want to
go down to Crailing, and fetch Joan, and take her with me to Abbotsleigh.
So I should want at least a week off."

"Well, wait till Max comes back," advised Diana, "We shall know more
about the matter then. And--and--Jerry!" She stretched out her hand,
which immediately disappeared within Jerry's big, boyish fist. "Good
luck, old boy!"

* * * * * *

Max returned at about ten o'clock, and Diana proceeded to offer polite
inquiries about Miss de Gervais' welfare. She wondered if he would
remember how near they had been to each other just for an instant before
the news of the attempt upon Adrienne's life had reached them.

But apparently he had forgotten all about it. His thoughts were entirely
concerned with Adrienne, and he was unusually grave and preoccupied.

He ordered a servant to bring him some sandwiches and a glass of wine,
and when he and Diana were once more alone, be announced abruptly:--

"I shall have to leave home for a few days."

"Leave home?" echoed Diana.

"Yes. Adrienne must go out of town, and I'm going to run down to some
little country place and find rooms for her and Mrs. Adams."

"Find rooms?" Diana stared at him amazedly. "But surely--won't they go
to Red Gables?"

Max shook his head.

"No. It wouldn't be safe after this--this affair. The same brute might
try to get her again. You see, it's