nry was a failure?" he
enquired trying to be sympathetic.

"Yes, of course," Mrs. Delarayne rejoined, flinging her cigarette into
the bushes at her side. "And I do so hate the idea of going out to
China."

Cleopatra laughed. "But, Edith, surely you don't really mean that you'll
go to China if Lord Henry goes?"

Denis glanced quickly at Cleopatra and in his eyes she read the
supercilious message: "People of _our_ generation could not be so
foolish."

"You don't flatter yourself, Cleo, I hope," Mrs. Delarayne retorted
icily, "that I say these things to amuse you and Denis, do you?"

Cleopatra signified by a glance directed at Denis that she did not like
the message in his eyes, and regretting the laugh with which she had
opened her last remark, she turned conciliatingly to her mother.

"I'd go with you, Edith dear, if you wanted me to," she said.

For the first time since he had made their acquaintance Denis began to
have the shadow of an understanding of the depth of these two women's
attachment to each other, and he bowed his head.

"Thank you, Cleo," Mrs. Delarayne replied after satisfying herself that
there was not a trace of insincerity either in the voice or features of
her daughter. "We'll see."

She rose, smoothed down the front of her frock with a few rapid
gestures, and turned to the younger people.

"Come on!" she said. "You and I cannot afford to lose our beauty sleep,
Cleo. Two hours before midnight,--you know the time, and it's now
half-past nine."

Evidently Mrs. Delarayne intended to be rude to Denis. Sir Joseph had
told her something across the telephone, and she had expected a result
which had not occurred.

* * * * *

The following morning after breakfast Mrs. Delarayne as usual retired to
the bureau in the library where every day she devoted at least thirty
minutes to her housekeeping duties.

Silently on this occasion Cleopatra followed in her wake, and pretending
to be in search of a book, lingered in her mother's company longer than
was her wont after the morning meal. Book after book was taken down from
the shelves, perfunctorily examined and returned to its place. Once or
twice the girl looked towards her mother, possibly in the hope that the
elder woman would provide the opening to the subject that was uppermost
in both their minds. At last Cleopatra spoke.

"Baby comes home to-day," she said, in a voice strained to appear
cheerful.

Mrs. Delar