s Wyatt left a message for you in case you called, sir," the porter
told him. "She said would you come back to lunch?"

Jimmy muttered something and walked away. He had no intention of going
back to lunch; he wandered down Regent Street. Presently he found
himself staring in at a jeweller's window. That reminded him; he would
have to buy Christine a ring.

He wondered if Cynthia intended to keep the one he had given to her; it
had cost him a fabulous sum. He had been hard up for weeks afterwards
in consequence; and even then it was not nearly so fine as some she
already had--as some Mortlake could afford to give her, for instance.

He could not yet realise that this detestable thing had really happened
to him. He made up his mind that if Christine would have him, he would
marry her at once. There was nothing to wait for--and he wanted to let
Cynthia see that he was not going to wear the willow for her.

He turned away from the window and the dazzling rows of diamond rings
and walked on. He remembered that he had not answered his brother's
letter; on the spur of the moment he turned into the nearest post
office and sent a cable:

Letter received. Am engaged to Christine Wyatt, of Upton House. You
remember her.--JAMES.

He never signed himself "Jimmy" when he was writing to the Great
Horatio. The cable, together with his brother's address, cost him
fifteen shillings; he grudged the expense, but he supposed it had to be
sent.

He wandered on again up the street.

He had some lunch by himself, and went back to the Wyatts' hotel.
Christine came running down the stairs to meet him; her eyes were
dancing, her face flushed.

"Oh, Jimmy!" she said. She looked as if she expected him to kiss her,
he thought; after a moment he lightly touched her cheek with his lips.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come to lunch," he said stiltedly. "I--er--I had
an engagement. If you care to come out----"

He knew he must sound horribly casual and indifferent; he tried in vain
to infuse some enthusiasm into his voice, but failed.

Christine seemed to notice nothing amiss; she assented eagerly when he
suggested they should go and look at the shops.

"You--er you must have a ring, you know," he said.

His heart smote him when he saw the way her lips trembled. He took her
hand remorsefully.

"I mean to make you very happy," he said. He dropped her hand again
and moved away.

In his mind he kept comparing this with the f