ggan down the front staircase.

"To ride on Peggy's 'magic carpet,' as she calls it," said the Duke,
"is to be admitted to the household as a friend. Come again soon," he
added as he shook hands in parting. "Any Sunday at lunch you are
always sure to catch us. We never give special invitations to the
friends we want, do we, Peggy? and I want to have some more talks with
you."

As Patricia and Elton walked towards the Park he explained that Lady
Peggy's tea-tray had figured in many little comedies. Bishops, Cabinet
Ministers, great generals and admirals had all descended the stairs in
the way Patricia had.

"In fact," he added, "when the Duke was in the Cabinet, it was the
youngest and brightest collection of Ministers in the history of the
country. Every one of them was devoted to Peggy, and I think they
would have made war or peace at her command."

When Patricia arrived at Galvin House, she was conscious of the world
having changed since the morning. All her gloom had been dispelled,
the drawn look had passed from her face, and she felt that a heavy
weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE AIR RAID

"Miss Brent, please get up. There's an air raid."

Mechanically Patricia sat up in bed and listened. Outside a
police-whistle was droning its raucous warning; within there was the
sound of frightened whispers and the noise of the opening and shutting
of doors. Suddenly there was a shriek, followed by a low murmur of
several voices. The sound of the police-whistle continued, gradually
dying away in the distance, and the noises within the house ceased.

Patricia strained her ears to catch the first sound of the defensive
guns. She had no intention of getting up for a false alarm. For some
minutes there was silence, then came a slight murmur, half sob, half
sigh, as if London were breathing heavily in her sleep, another
followed, then half a dozen in quick succession growing louder with
every report. Suddenly came the scream of a "whiz-bang" and the
thunder of a large gun. Soon the orchestra was in full swing.

Still Patricia listened. She was fascinated. Why did guns sound
exactly as if large plank were being dropped? Why did the report seem
as if something were bouncing? Suddenly a terrific report, a sound as
if a giant plank had been dropped and had "bounced." A neighbouring
gun had given tongue, another followed.

She jumped out of bed and proceeded to pull on h