," said Patricia; "I--I----"

"Why can't you?"

"Well, I haven't told Mrs. Craske-Morton."

"Who's she?" enquired Mr. Triggs.

"Of course it doesn't matter, how stupid of me," said Patricia; "I
should love to dine with you, Mr. Triggs, if you will let me."

"That's all right," said Mr. Triggs, heaving a sigh of relief.

They walked down Portland Place and Regent Street until they reached
the Quadrant.

"We'll 'ave dinner in the Grill-room at the Quadrant," announced Mr.
Triggs, with the air of a man who knows his way about town.

"Oh, no, not there, please!" cried Patricia, in a panic.

"Not there!" Mr. Triggs looked at her, surprise and disappointment in
his voice. "Why not?"

"Oh! I'd sooner not go there if you don't mind. Couldn't we go
somewhere else?"

For a moment Mr. Triggs did not reply.

"There's someone there I don't want to meet," said Patricia, then a
moment afterwards she realised her mistake. Mr. Triggs looked down at
his clothes.

"I suppose they are a bit out of it for the evening," he remarked in a
hurt voice.

"Oh, Mr. Triggs, how could you?" said Patricia. "Now I shall insist on
dining in the Quadrant Grill-room. If you won't come with me I'll go
alone."

"Not if you don't want to go, me dear, it doesn't matter. Though I do
like to 'ear the band. We can go anywhere."

"No, Quadrant or nothing," said Patricia, hoping that Bowen would be
dining out.

"Are you sure, me dear?" said Mr. Triggs, hesitating on the threshold.

"Nothing will change me," announced Patricia, with decision. "Now you
can see about getting a table while I go and powder my nose."

When Patricia rejoined Mr. Triggs in the vestibule of the Grill-room he
was looking very unhappy and downcast.

"There ain't a table nowhere," he said.

"Oh, what a shame!" cried Patricia. "Whatever shall we do?"

"I don't know," said Mr. Triggs helplessly.

"Are you sure?" persisted Patricia.

"That red-'eaded fellow over there said there wasn't nothing to be 'ad."

"I am sorry," said Patricia, seeing Triggs's disappointment. "I
suppose we shall have to go somewhere else after all."

"Won't you and your friend share my table, Patricia?"

Patricia turned round as if someone had hit her, her face flaming.
"Oh!" she cried. "You?"

"I have a table booked, and if you will dine with me you will be
conferring a real favour upon a lonely fellow-creature."

Bowen smiled from Patricia to Mr. Triggs, who was looking