than yours.
Once in my life I loved a man, and I came home one day from the
hunting field to read a telegram from the War Office. He was
'missing,' it said--missing--in a rear-guard action in Tirah. Do you
know what that means?"

A cloud of smoke hid her face; but it could not stifle the sob in her
voice. There was a knock at the door.

"Are you there, Edith?" demanded Reginald de la Vere.

"Yes. Go away! I'm busy."

"But----"

"Go away, I tell you!"

Then she jerked a scornful hand toward the door. "Six months later I
was married--men who are missed among the Afridis don't come back,"
she said.

"I'm more sorry than I can put into words!" murmured Helen.

"For goodness' sake don't let us grow sentimental. Shall we return to
our sheep? Don't be afraid that I shall pasture the goats in the hall
on your confidences. Hasn't Bower asked you?"

"No."

"Then his action was all the more generous. He meant to squelch that
friend of yours--is she your friend?"

"She used to be," said Helen sadly.

"And what do you mean to do about it? You will marry Bower, of
course?"

Helen's heart fluttered. Her color rose in a sudden wave. "I--I don't
think so," she breathed.

"Don't you? Well, I like you the better for saying so. I can picture
myself putting the same questions to one of the Wragg girls--to both
of 'em, in fact. I am older than you, and very much wiser in some of
the world's ways, and my advice is, Don't marry any man unless you are
sure you love him. If you do love him, you may keep him, for men are
patient creatures. But that is for you to decide. I can't help you
there. I am mainly concerned, for the moment, in helping you over the
ice during the next day or two--if you will let me, that is. Probably
you have determined not to appear in public to-night. That will be a
mistake. Wear your prettiest frock, and dine with Reggie and me. We
shall invite Mr. Bower to join us, and two other people--some man and
woman I can depend on to keep things going. If we laugh and kick up no
end of a noise, it will not only worry the remainder of the crowd, but
you score heavily off the theatrical lady. See?"

"I can see that you are acting the part of the good Samaritan," cried
Helen.

"Oh, dear, no--nothing so antiquated. Look at your future
position--the avowed wife of a millionaire. Eh, what? as Georgie
says."

"But I am not anything of the kind. Mr. Bower----"

"Mr. Bower is all right. He has the recognized hi