le and terrified. Hurd, on the contrary, was flushed as though
with wine. Macheson took her by the arm as she passed.

"Letty," he said gravely, "have you missed your train?"

She gave a stifled cry and shrank back, when she saw who it was.
However, she recovered herself quickly.

"Mr. Macheson!" she exclaimed. "How you startled me! I didn't expect--to
see you again."

"About this train, Letty?" he repeated.

"Mr. Hurd's watch stopped," she declared, her eyes filling once more
with tears. "He thought it was eleven o'clock,--and it was ten minutes
past twelve. I don't know what mother will say, I am sure."

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

She looked round nervously.

"Mr. Hurd is going to take me to some friends of his," she answered.
"You see it was his fault, so he has promised to see mother and
explain."

Hurd pushed angrily forward.

"Look here," he said to Macheson, "have you been following us about?"

"I have not," Macheson answered calmly. "I am very glad to have come
across you, though."

"Sorry I can't return the compliment," Hurd remarked. "Come, Letty."

A girl who was passing tapped him on the arm. She was dressed in blue
silk, with a large picture hat, and she was smoking a cigarette.

"Hullo, Stephen!" she exclaimed. "Edith wants to see you. Are you coming
round to-night?"

Hurd muttered something under his breath and moved away. Letty looked at
him with horror.

"Stephen!" she exclaimed. "You can't--you don't mean to say that you
know--any of these?"

She was trembling in every limb. He tried to pass his arm through hers.

"Don't be a fool, Letty," he said. "It's time we went, or my friends
will have gone to bed."

She looked at him with wide-open eyes. Her lips were quivering. It was
as though she saw some new thing in his face.

"Your friends," she murmured, "are they--that sort? Oh! I am afraid."

She clung to Macheson. People were beginning to notice them. He led her
out into the street. Hurd followed, angrily protesting. Holderness was
close behind.

"I say, you know," Hurd began, with his arm on Macheson's shoulder.
Macheson shook it off.

"Mr. Hurd," he said, "at the risk of seeming impertinent, I must ask you
precisely where you intend taking this girl to-night?"

"What the devil business is it of yours?" Hurd answered angrily.

"Tell me, all the same," Macheson persisted.

Hurd passed his arm through Letty's.

"Come, Letty," he said, "we will take this han