ish. "You're a wonder,
Mrs. Clephane," he ended.

"Aren't you afraid you'll make me vain?" she asked.

"It can't be done," he averred. "You simply can't be spoiled; you're much
too sensible."

"La! la!" she trilled. "What a paragon of--"

--"everything," he adjected.

"Everything that I must be, if you so wish it."

"Just so!" he replied.

"Aren't you afraid of a paragon, Mr. Harleston?"

"Generally, yes; specifically, no."

"La! la!" she trilled again. "You're becoming mystic; which means
mysterious, which means diplomatic, which means deception--which warns
us to get back to the simple life and have dinner. Want dinner, Mr.
Harleston?"

"With you, yes; also breakfast and luncheon daily."

"You couldn't do that unless you were my husband," she replied
tantalizingly and adorably.

"I'm perfectly aware of it," he responded, leaning forward over the
back of the chair that separated them.

"But I'm not ready to take a husband, monsieur," she protested lightly.

"I'm perfectly aware of that also. When you are ready, madame, I am
ready too. Until then I'm your good friend--and dinner companion."

He had spoken jestingly--yet the jest was mainly pretence; the real
passion was there and ready the instant he let it control. As for Mrs.
Clephane, Harleston did not know. Nor did she herself know--more than
that she was quite content to be with him, and let him do for her,
assured that he would not misunderstand, nor misinterpret, nor presume.
So, across the chair's back, she held out her hand to him; and he took
it, pressed it lightly, but answered never a word.

"Now you shall hear the special matter I've got bottled up," said she.
"Whom do you think was here late this afternoon?"

"The Emperor of Spain!" he guessed.

"A diplomatic answer!" she mocked. "There is no Emperor of Spain; yet
it's not absolutely wide of the diplomatic truth, for it was Mrs.
Buissard--she of the cab, you'll remember."

"So!" Harleston exclaimed. "What's the move now; I fancy she was not
paying a social visit."

"You fancy correctly," Mrs. Clephane replied. "She came to the apartment
unannounced; and when I, chancing to be passing the door when she
knocked, opened it, and saw who was without, I almost cried out with
surprise. I didn't cry out, however. On the contrary, remembering
diplomatic ways, I most cordially invited her in. To do her justice,
Mrs. Buissard, beyond expressing hope that I had experienced no ill
effect from