valet."

"He did n't do it at all nicely. There's a little sun parlor on the
next floor. Come with me and I 'll do it over."

He followed her upstairs and into a room filled with flowers and wicker
chairs. She stood before him and readjusted the handkerchief, so near
that he thought he felt her breath. It was a test for a man, and he
came through it nobly.

"There--that's better," she said. "Now take the big chair in the sun."

She drew it forward a little, though he protested at so much attention.
She dropped into another seat a little away from him.

"Well?" he inquired. "Aren't you going to tell me about it?"

He was making it as easy as possible--easier than she had anticipated.

"Won't you please smoke?"

He lighted a cigarette.

"Now we're off," he encouraged her.

He was leaning back with one leg crossed over the other--a big,
wholesome boy. His blue eyes this morning were the color of the sky,
and just as clean and just as untroubled. As she studied him the
thought uppermost in her mind was that she must not hurt him. She must
be very careful about that. She must give him nothing to worry over.

"Monte," she began, "I guess women have a lot of queer notions men
don't know anything about. Can't we let it go at that?"

"If you wish," he nodded. "Only--are you going to stay here?"

"For a little while, anyway," she answered.

"You mean--a day or two?"

"Or a week or two."

"You'd rather not tell me why?"

"If you please--not," she answered quickly.

He thought a moment, and then asked:--

"It was n't anything I did?"

"No, no," she assured him. "You've been so good, Monte."

He was so good with her now--so gentle and considerate. It made her
heart ache. With her chin in hand, elbow upon the arm of her chair,
she was apparently looking at him more or less indifferently, when what
she would have liked to do was to smooth away the perplexed frown
between his brows.

"Then," he asked, "your coming here has n't anything to do with me?"

She could not answer that directly. With her cheeks burning and her
lips dry, she tried to think just what to say. Above all things, she
must not worry him!

"It has to do with you and myself and--Peter Noyes," she answered.

"Peter Noyes!"

He sat upright.

"He is at the Hotel des Roses--with his sister," Marjory ran on
hurriedly. "They are both old friends, and I met them quite by
accident last night. Suddenly, Monte,--they made my