es to his, and for once she was not
acting. "I knew it would end, of course. I have lost a--a lover. I
expected that. But I wanted to keep a friend."

It was the right note. Why, after all, should he not be her friend? He
had treated her cruelly, hideously. If she still desired his friendship,
there was no disloyalty to Sidney in giving it. And Carlotta was very
careful. Not once again did she allow him to see what lay in her eyes.
She told him of her worries. Her training was almost over. She had
a chance to take up institutional work. She abhorred the thought of
private duty. What would he advise?

The Lamb was hovering near, hot eyes on them both. It was no place to
talk.

"Come to the office and we'll talk it over."

"I don't like to go there; Miss Simpson is suspicious."

The institution she spoke of was in another city. It occurred to
Wilson that if she took it the affair would have reached a graceful and
legitimate end.

Also, the thought of another stolen evening alone with her was not
unpleasant. It would be the last, he promised himself. After all, it was
owing to her. He had treated her badly.

Sidney would be at a lecture that night. The evening loomed temptingly
free.

"Suppose you meet me at the old corner," he said carelessly, eyes on
the Lamb, who was forgetting that he was only a junior interne and was
glaring ferociously. "We'll run out into the country and talk things
over."

She demurred, with her heart beating triumphantly.

"What's the use of going back to that? It's over, isn't it?"

Her objection made him determined. When at last she had yielded, and he
made his way down to the smoking-room, it was with the feeling that he
had won a victory.

K. had been uneasy all that day; his ledgers irritated him. He had been
sleeping badly since Sidney's announcement of her engagement. At five
o'clock, when he left the office, he found Joe Drummond waiting outside
on the pavement.

"Mother said you'd been up to see me a couple of times. I thought I'd
come around."

K. looked at his watch.

"What do you say to a walk?"

"Not out in the country. I'm not as muscular as you are. I'll go about
town for a half-hour or so."

Thus forestalled, K. found his subject hard to lead up to. But here
again Joe met him more than halfway.

"Well, go on," he said, when they found themselves in the park; "I don't
suppose you were paying a call."

"No."

"I guess I know what you are going to say."