t visitor to the kitchen.
"Are you going to stay to dinner? I do hope so, 'cos I'm going to sit up
and there's lovely things--lots of roasted pheasants and meringues all
filled with squelchy cream!"

"Alas, Cherry, I can't stop!" Anstice's comically regretful tone made
Chloe smile. "I shall have to go home and see my patients. And if I get
a chop----"

"_And_ a chipped potato, my dear," prompted Cherry.

"_And_ a chipped potato," concurred Anstice obediently, "I shall think
myself lucky! But I wish you hadn't told me there were to be lots of
pheasants!"

"They're for Daddy, speshully," said Cherry, "'cos he's got sick of
chickens in Injia--but I like the bready sauce and the little brown
crumbs best!"

"And that reminds me," said Major Carstairs, looking at his watch rather
ostentatiously, "I should be glad if you could put forward dinner a
little, Chloe. I must catch the nine-thirty to town."

"Oh, Daddy, you're not going to-night!" Cherry forsook Anstice for the
moment and clambered on to her father's knee. "You said you were going
to stop and you'd come and tell me stories in bed!"

"I did, and I don't like breaking my word to a lady," said Major
Carstairs seriously, "but I really must go back to town to-night, and
I'll come down to-morrow or the next day, and stay a long, long time!"

"You might tell Hagyard Major Carstairs will not be staying to-night,
Tochatti," said Chloe, turning to the woman, and Anstice's quick eyes
caught the look of relief compounded with something like surprise which
flashed across Tochatti's swarthy countenance.

"_Bene, Signora._" With a strange look at Anstice, a look which did not
escape the notice of the person at whom it was levelled, Tochatti
withdrew, and since further conversation was impossible in Cherry's
presence, Anstice made his farewells and went out to the car, escorted
by his host, who seized the opportunity to fix the details of the
evening's later meeting.

"You will leave the house about a quarter to nine, I suppose?" asked
Anstice. "Well, look here, why not come round to my place to fill in the
time until we can go back? We shall be alone, and unless I'm called
out--which I trust won't happen--we can have a quiet chat and a smoke."

"Right. I'll be at your place about nine, and if you're busy I can read
the paper, you know. Till then, _au revoir_!"

Anstice nodded and mounted to the steering seat, and Major Carstairs
went back into the house, wondering wh