e duly appeared at Greengates while the garden party was in full swing
he only remained there a brief half-hour.

As he was bidding Lady Laura good-bye, Iris, with whom he had as yet
only exchanged a couple of words, came up to him with a friendly little
smile on her lips.

"Are you leaving us already, Dr. Anstice? I don't believe you've even
had a cup of tea--or what Daddy calls a peg. Have you?"

"Yes, thanks, Miss Wayne." He lied so convincingly that the girl
believed him. "I'm just off again--you must excuse me, but you know my
time is not my own."

"No." He thought she looked a little pale this afternoon. "I quite
understand, and I think it is very nice of you to come at all. You are
coming to-morrow?"

"I hope so." Again he lied, and something in the frank eyes which were
raised to his made him ashamed of his mendacity. "Of course--it's
possible I may be prevented, but in any case, Miss Wayne, please
remember my best wishes will be yours all day."

As though reminded of something she spoke impulsively.

"Dr. Anstice, I've never thanked you--except in a note--for your lovely
present. It is really quite the most uncommon one I have had, and I
shall value it immensely."

"I am glad you like it," he said. He had sent her a pair of ancient
Chinese vases which his father had received many years ago from the
grateful wife of a mandarin to whom he had once rendered a service. "I
hardly knew what to send you, and then I remembered you once said you
liked curios."

"I do--and these are so lovely." As she stood talking to him in the
sunlight Anstice told himself that this was really his farewell to the
girl he had known and loved, and his eyes could hardly leave her
adorable face. The next time they met--if Fate ordained that they should
meet again--she would be Bruce Cheniston's wife; and believing as he did
that this would be their last meeting as man and maid, Anstice took the
hand she held out to him with a very sore heart.

"Good-bye, Miss Wayne." Just for a moment he hesitated, feeling that he
could not bear to let her go like this; and the girl, puzzled by his
manner, waited rather uneasily, her hand in his. Then he gave her
fingers a last clasp, wringing them unconsciously hard, and let them go.

"Good-bye, Dr. Anstice." Standing as she did on the threshold of a new
life, face to face with a mystery she dreaded, yet was prepared, to
fathom, perhaps Iris' perceptions were a little quickened. All at once