like," he said; "and I'll listen and take it
to heart. But I don't mind telling you I'm not going to twist this play
out of all dramatic semblance at your dictation--or Max's either."

For a moment their glances crossed like swords; he was conscious from
the flicker in her eyes that her temper was straining at the leash; and
his jaw assumed a certain look of grim solidity. But the outbreak he
expected did not come; Alison was an artiste too consummate not to be
able to control and mask her emotions--even as she did now with a quick
curtaining of her eyes behind long lashes.

"Don't let's talk about that now," she said in a soft, placating voice.
"That's a matter for hours of business. We're getting farther and
farther away from my errand."

"By all means," he returned pleasantly, "let us go to that at once."

"You can't guess?" She unmasked again the battery of her laughing eyes.
He shook his head. "I'll give you three guesses."

He found the courage to say: "You didn't come to confess that I'm in the
right about the play?"

She pouted prettily. "Can't you let that be? No, of course not."

"Nor to bicker about it?"

She laughed a denial.

"Nor yet to conduct a guessing contest?"

"No."

"Then I've exhausted my allowance.... Well?"

"I came," she drawled, "for my hat."

"Your hat?" His eyes opened wide.

She nodded. "My pretty hat. You remember you promised to give it to me
if nobody else claimed it."

"Yes, but ..."

"And nobody has claimed it?"

"No, but ..."

"Then I want my hat."

"But--hold on--give somebody a chance--"

"Stupid?" she laughed. "Isn't it enough that I claim it? Am I nobody?"

"Wait half a minute. You've got me going." He paused, frowning
thoughtfully, recollecting his wits; then by degrees the light began to
dawn upon him. "Do you mean you really did send me that confounded
bandbox?"

Coolly she inclined her head: "I did just that, my dear."

"But when I asked you the same question on the Autocratic--"

"Quite so: I denied it."

"And you were in London that Friday, after all?"

"I was. Had to be, hadn't I, in order to buy the hat and have it sent
you?"

"But--how did you know I was sailing Saturday?"

"I happened to go to the steamship office just after you had booked--saw
a clerk adding your name to the passenger-list on the bulletin-board.
That gave me the inspiration. I had already bought the hat, but I drove
back to the shop and instructed them to send it to