at she said.

Jimmy looked ill; she knew that, and it gave her a faint little
heartache; she avoided looking at him if she could help it. She left
the two men to entertain each other, and busied herself with the
tea-tray.

Kettering rose to the occasion nobly. He talked away as if this
unwelcome meeting were a pleasure to him. He did his best to put
Christine at her ease, but all the time he was wondering how soon he
could make his excuses and escape; how soon he could get out of this
three-cornered situation, which was perhaps more painful to him than to
either of his companions.

He handed the tea for Christine, and sat beside her, screening her a
little from Jimmy's worried eyes. How was she feeling? he was asking
himself jealously. Was she glad to see her husband, or did she feel as
he did--that Jimmy's unexpected presence had spoilt for them both an
hour which neither would easily have forgotten?

"How is your brother?" he asked Jimmy presently. "I haven't heard from
him just lately. I suppose he has thought no more of coming home? He
has talked of it for so long."

Jimmy roused himself with an effort. He had not touched his tea, and
he had given the cake he had mechanically taken to Christine's terrier.
He looked at her now, and quickly away again.

"He is on his way home," he said shortly.

There was a little silence. Christine's face flushed; her eyes grew
afraid.

"On his way home--the Great Horatio?"

Jimmy's nickname for his brother escaped her unconsciously. Jimmy
smiled faintly.

"Yes; I heard last night. I--I believe he arrives in England on
Monday."

It was Kettering who broke the following silence.

"I shall be glad to see him again. He will be surprised to hear that I
have come across you and Mrs. Challoner." He spoke to Jimmy, but his
whole attention was fixed on the girl at his side. He had seen the
sudden stiffening of her slim little figure, the sudden nervous clasp
of her hands.

And then the door opened and Gladys Leighton walked into the room. She
looked straight at Kettering, and he met her eyes with a sort of
abashed humiliation. He rose to his feet to offer her his chair.
Jimmy rose also. He and Gladys shook hands awkwardly.

"Well, I didn't expect to see _you_," said Gladys bluntly. She glanced
at Christine.

"None of us expected to see him," said Jimmy's wife, rather shrilly.
"The Great Horatio is on his way home. I suppose he has come down to
tell u