her, and now Peg was condemning her ... life was a hateful
thing.

Forrester came into the flat a day or two later and found Peg there
alone. He was tired and depressed, and answered her cheery greeting
shortly.

She knew that his eyes wandered round the room in search of his wife,
though he asked no questions, and Peg said:

"Faith's gone out. She'll be in directly." She paused, then added: "I
didn't go with her, because I wanted to speak to you--alone!"

The last word was given with dramatic effect, and Forrester smiled
faintly.

"Well--what is it?"

Peg was standing over by the window, and she turned round with a swift
movement as she said:

"Look here! Do you want me to go?"

"Go?" He was too surprised to do anything but echo her words.

"Yes." The colour deepened in her cheeks, but her eyes met his without
flinching. "I know it's been unpleasant for you, all these weeks," she
went on deliberately. "I know you'd much rather be alone with Faith, so
if you'll say the word I'll go, and no complaints."

There was a little silence, then Forrester said slowly:

"I suppose it hasn't occurred to you that if you go, Miss Fraser, Faith
will probably go too."

"Is that what she says?"

"Yes."

Peg laughed.

"Well, don't take any notice of her. She's a silly kid; she says lots of
things she doesn't really mean." She came across the room and stood
beside him. "Look here; it's partly me who's to blame for her being so
unkind to you," she went on bluntly. "I told her you were Ralph Scammel.
I told her that you were a selfish brute, and that you made us work as
we did to get money for you." For the first time her eyes fell, as she
added: "You needn't believe me, but I've often been sick about
that--since!"

Forrester laughed.

"You need not be. It's more or less true. I am selfish, and I am Ralph
Scammel, and I did work you and hundreds of other girls like you, to
make money for me."

"You're not a bit selfish," Peg said almost violently. "Look how good
you've been to us! Took us from nothing, as you might say----"

"Oh--please!" Forrester stopped her in embarrassment. "I shall think
you're going to ask me a favour if you say such kind things," he
protested, half in fun.

"Well, then, I'm not," Peg declared. "But I'm going to ask you a
question, all the same."

"What is it?"

"If I wasn't here, would you have your own friends to the flat? Oh, you
needn't make excuses! I know I'm not so good as Faith