y see one another; always a crowd
either here or outside. I know Rachel don't like it and I don't like it,
but there it is--

"Next week we're going down to Seddon and things may get better
there--But I can't stand it much more--not like this."

"Wait a bit. It'll come all right." Christopher spoke confidently. "I've
know Rachel since she was a small child. She's half Russian, you
know--you must always remember that--and Russian and Beaminster make a
strange mixture--Wait----"

"That's so easy to say--" Roddy answered, shaking his head. "It's so
easy to say, but I don't see just what's goin' to make things different
from what they are----"

"No--one never sees," said Christopher. "And then Destiny comes along
and does something that we call coincidence and just settles it all.
Your trouble will be settled, Roddy, if you're patient----"

"Perhaps," Roddy said slowly, "you could see her a bit--find out----" he
stopped.

"Anything in the world I can do I will. We'll find a way. Meanwhile,
Seddon, there is a bit of advice I can give you----"

"What's that?" asked Roddy.

"Go and see the Duchess more than you've been doing. See her a lot--more
than you did ever----"

"Oh! the Duchess!" Roddy sighed. "I don't know, but it all seems
different with her now. I've changed, I suppose. All her ideas are
old-fashioned and wrong; I used to think her rather splendid----"

"Yes--but she's ill and old, and you're the only person in the world she
cares about."

"Yes, I'll go," said Roddy slowly. "I've known I ought to go."

Voices broke in upon them; the door opened and Rachel, followed by her
friend May Cremlin, once May Eversley, came in--

"Oh! Dr. Chris! You dear!" she cried, and came forward and flung her
arms about him and kissed him.

Her cheeks were flushed, from her black furs her eyes shone at him. Some
thought caught him. He knew where he had seen that excited glitter
already to-day--Breton at luncheon--

They all talked. Then Christopher said that he must go.

Rachel came with him to the door. In the hall she looked at him
defiantly, that flash he knew so well.

"You never come now, Dr. Chris: you've given me up."

"I don't care for you in a crowd very much. There's always a crowd
now----"

"Ask me alone and I'll come," she said, but still her eyes were defiant.

"No," he said gravely. "I'll do no asking, Rachel. When you want me I'm
there for you at any time--at _any_ time----"

For answer she flu