entirely as to
the disposal of the enclosed. I do not feel myself, in any
sense of the word, a competent critic, and I trust that you
will not feel yourself under the least obligation to give to
my views the weight of your journal.

"I remain,
"Yours truly,
"JOHN MATRAVERS."

His finger was upon the bell, when his servant entered, bearing a note
upon a salver. Matravers glanced at the handwriting already becoming
familiar to him, recognizing, too, the faint odour of violets which
seemed to escape into the room as his fingers broke the seal.

"It is half-past eleven and you have not come! Does that
mean that you will not listen to me, that you mean to judge
me unheard? You will not be so unkind! I shall remain
indoors until one o'clock, and I shall expect you.

"BERENICE."

Matravers laid the note down, and covered it with a paper-weight. Then
he sealed his own letter, and gave it, with the manuscript, to his
servant. The man withdrew, and Matravers continued his writing.

He worked steadily until two o'clock. Then a simple luncheon was
brought in to him, and upon the tray another note. Matravers took it
with some hesitation, and read it thoughtfully.

"TWO O'CLOCK.

"You have made up your mind, then, not to come. Very well, I
too am determined. If you will not come to me, I shall come
to you! I shall remain in until four o'clock. You may expect
to see me any time after then.

"BERENICE."

Matravers ate his luncheon and pondered, finally deciding to abandon a
struggle in which his was obviously the weaker position. He lingered
for a while over his coffee; at three o'clock he retired for a few
moments into his dressing-room, and then descending the stairs, made
his way out into the street.

He had told himself only a few hours back that he would be wise to
ignore this summons from a woman, the ways of whose life must lie very
far indeed from his. Yet he knew that his meeting with her had
affected him as nothing of the sort had ever affected him before--a
man unimpressionable where women were concerned, and ever devoted to
and cultivating a somewhat unnatural exclusiveness. Her first note he
had been content to ignore,--she might have written it in a fit of
pique--bu