e surprised to see me here.

"Goodness, is it you or your ghost?" exclaimed Lady Mountstuart, in the
soft accents of California, which have never changed in spite of the
long years of her married life in England.

If it had been my ghost it would have vanished immediately, to save Di
from embarrassment, and also to prevent any delay in getting to
Maxine's. But, unfortunately, a flesh and blood young man must stop for
conventional politeness before he can disappear, no matter what presses.

I said "How do you do?" to everyone, adding that I was as surprised to
see them as they could be to see me. I even grinned civilly at Lord
Robert West, though finding him here with Di, looking particularly
pleased with himself, made me want to knock him down.

"Oh, it was a plan, as far as Mounty and Lord Robert and I are
concerned," explained Lady Mountstuart. "Of course, Lord Robert ought to
have been at the Duchess's bazaar this afternoon, but then he won't show
up at such things, even to please his sister, and Di and Lisa were to
have represented me there. To-day and to-morrow are the only days all
three of us could possibly steal to get away and look at a most
wonderful motor car; made for a Rajah who died before it was ready. Lord
Robert certainly knows more about automobiles than any other human being
does, and he thought this was just what I would want. Di had the most
horrid headache this morning, poor child, and wasn't fit for the fatigue
of a big crush, so, as she's a splendid sailor, I persuaded her to come
with us--and Lisa, too, of course. We caught the afternoon train to
Boulogne, and had such a glorious crossing that we actually all had the
courage to dress and dine at Madrid--wasn't it plucky of us? But we're
collapsing now, and have come back early, as we must inspect the car the
first thing to-morrow morning and do a heap of shopping afterwards."

"If you're collapsing, I mustn't keep you standing here a moment," I
said, anxious for more than one reason to get away. Di wasn't looking at
me. Half turned from me, purposely I didn't doubt, she had begun a
conversation with Bob West, who beamed with joy over her kindness to him
and her apparent indifference to me.

"'Collapsing' is an exaggeration perhaps," laughed Lady Mountstuart.
"But, instead of keeping us standing here, come up to our sitting-room
and have a little talk--and whisky and soda."

"Yes, do come, Dundas," her husband added.

"Thank you both," I