ome, and he wouldn't let me
go to a hotel. Don't you really mind? Because----"

"Of course I don't mind." Aline rose bravely to the occasion. "It sounds
wildly romantic, like most things that contrive to happen to Mr.
Somerled, although he says he's ceased to believe in romance. Have you
known each other long?"

"Only to-night," replied Barrie. And Somerled began to see that, as he
had said, there certainly would have to be a lot of explaining. It
almost seemed complicated. Nevertheless, he felt that he had done the
only thing possible, and so far from having regrets, he had a curious
sense of elation that was boyish. He wanted to see what was going to
happen next. He felt as if by some rather nice accident he had been
inveigled into playing a new game.

"I've known Mrs. Ballantree MacDonald ever since her first famous tour
through America some ten or twelve years ago," he said. "You'll be
amused, Mrs. West, to hear in what a queer way I ran across her daughter
to-night."

"Yes, indeed, no doubt," answered Aline, as they walked toward the
house. She was forcing herself to cheer up a little. His tone in
speaking of the actress didn't sound like the tone of a man in love. And
men of his type, who had been run after and spoilt, surely didn't fall
in love at sight. It was going to prove no more than an annoying
incident, this bringing home of a strange girl, who mightn't be so
desperately pretty, anyhow, in a bright light. To-morrow the creature
would be packed off to her mother or some one; and in a day or two more
Somerled and Basil and she--Aline--would start off on their heavenly
trip as if nothing had happened.

But Barrie was even prettier in the lamplight of the hall and
drawing-room than she had been in the silver vagueness of starlight.
Aline tried to think that she was the weirdest frump in the world, and
absolutely impossible as a fascinator; but she knew that the weirdness
would be superficial to the eye of Man. The thing was to hurry her away
in all her frumpiness.

Aline brought them into the low-ceiled drawing-room which, with her own
hands, she had made beautiful with many flowers in honour of Somerled's
coming. She and Basil had been here for several days, while Somerled
attended to business in London, and she had been looking forward to her
friend's comments upon this drawing-room. She had imagined his
exclaiming: "You've made it look like yourself!" But the girl had
spoiled her effects. Somerled m