lf I must begin by scolding you."

They looked at one another and smiled. "Have I displeased you so much
to-night?" she said.

"It's not that. Where have you been all this time?"

"Ah, if you only knew!" She had stopped and was looking into the
darkness.

"I _want_ to know. Why didn't you answer my letter?"

"Your letter?" She was clutching at the lilies of the valley in her
bosom.

He tapped her hand lightly and said, "Well, we'll not quarrel this time,
only don't do it again, you know, or else----"

She recovered herself and laughed. Her voice had a silvery ring, and he
thought it was an enchanting smile that played upon her face. They
resumed their walk.

"And now about to-night. You have had a success, of course."

"Why of course?"

"Because I always knew you must have."

She was proud and happy. He began to be grave and severe.

"But the drawing-room after dinner is no proper scene for your talents.
The audience is not in the right place or the right mood. Guests and
auditors--their duties clash. Besides, to tell you the truth, art is a
dark continent to people like these."

"They were kind to me, at all events," said Glory.

"To-night, yes. The last new man--the last new monkey----"

She was laughing again and swinging along on his arm as if her feet
hardly touched the ground.

"What is the matter with you?"

"Nothing; I am only thinking how polite you are," and then they looked at
each other again and laughed together.

The mild radiance of the stars was dying into the brighter light of the
moon. A bird somewhere in the dark trees below had mistaken the moonlight
for the dawn, and was making its early call. The clock at Westminster was
striking eleven, and there was the deep rumble of traffic from the unseen
streets round about.

"How beautiful!" said Glory. "It's hard to believe that this can be the
same London that is so full of casinos and clubs and-monasteries."

"Why, what does a girl like you know about such places?"

She had dropped his arm and was looking over the balcony. The sound of
voices came from the red windows behind them. Then the soloist began to
sing again. His second ballad was the Erl King:

Du liebes Kind, komm' geh' mit mir!
Gar schoene Spiele spiel' ich mit dir.

"Any news of John Storm?" said Drake.

"Not that I know of."

"I wonder if you would like him to come out again--now?"

"I wonder!"

At that moment there was a step behind them, and a soft v