en"! If he respected her he would have done as she commanded
him, instead of which he had sent her presents. Oh! it was intolerable.

"If I sent flowers and chocolates to a lady friend," said Mr. Bolton,
"I should expect her to look happier than you do, Miss Brent."

With an effort Patricia gathered herself together and with a forced
smile replied, "Ah! Mr. Bolton, but you are different," which seemed
to please Mr. Bolton mightily.

She was conscious that everyone was looking at her in surprise not
unmixed with disapproval. She was aware that her attitude was not the
conventional pose of the happily-engaged girl. The situation was
strange. Even Mr. Cordal was bestowing upon her a portion of his
attention. It is true that he was eating curry with a spoon, which
required less accuracy than something necessitating a knife and fork;
still at meal times it was unusual of him to be conscious even of the
existence of his fellow-boarders.

It was Gustave who relieved the situation by handing to Patricia a
telegram on the little tray where the silver had long since given up
the unequal struggle with the base metal beneath. Patricia with
assumed indifference laid it beside her plate.

"The boy ees waiting, mees," insinuated Gustave.

Patricia tore open the envelope and read: "May I come and see you this
evening dont say no peter."

Patricia was conscious of her flushed face and she felt irritated at
her own weakness. With a murmured apology to Mrs. Morton she rose from
the table and went into the lounge where she wrote the reply: "Regret
impossible remember your promise," then she paused. She did not want
to sign her full name, she could not sign her Christian name she
decided, so she compromised by using initials only, "P.B." She took
the telegram to the door herself, knowing that otherwise poor Gustave's
life would be a misery at the hands of Miss Wangle, Mrs.
Mosscrop-Smythe and the others.

"Why had she given the boy sixpence?" she asked herself as she slowly
returned to the dining-room. Telegraph boys were paid. It was
ridiculous to tip them, especially when they brought undesirable
messages. "Was the message undesirable?" someone within seemed to
question. Of course it was, and she was very angry with Bowen for not
doing as she had commanded him.

When Patricia returned to the table and proceeded with the meal, she
was conscious of the atmosphere of expectancy around her. Everybody
wanted to know