o I came
to you.'

She was looking about for signs of female occupation; none whatever
were discoverable.

'You are kind.'

'I won't stay, of course. You are very busy--'

'I hope you will let me give you a cup of tea?'

'Oh no, thank you. It was only just to speak a word--and to ask you to
forget some very bad behaviour of mine. You know what I mean, of
course. I was ashamed of myself, but I couldn't help it. I'm so glad I
came just in time to see you; I should have been awfully vexed if I--if
I couldn't have asked you to forgive me.'

'I have nothing whatever to forgive, but I think it very kind of you to
have come.'

'You'll come back again--some day?'

'Very likely, I think.'

'Then I'll say good-bye.'

He looked into her face, and saw how pretty and sweet it was, and felt
sorry for her--he did not know why. Their hands held together a moment
or two.

'There's no--no message I can deliver for you, Mr. Egremont? I'm to be
trusted--I am, indeed.'

'I'm very sure you are, Miss Tyrrell--Oh, pardon me!'

'No, no! I shan't forgive you.' She was laughing, yet almost crying at
the same time. 'You must ask me to do something for you, in return for
that. How strange that did seem! It was like having been dead and
coming to life again, wasn't it?'

'I have no message whatever for anybody, Mrs. Dalmaine; thank you very
much.'

'Good-bye, then. No, no, don't come down. Good-bye!'

She drove back home.

She had been sitting for an hour in her boudoir, when Dalmaine came in.
He smiled, but looked rather grim for all that. Seating himself
opposite her, he asked:

'Paula, what was your business in Great Russell Street this afternoon?'

She trembled, but returned his gaze scornfully.

'So you followed me?'

'I followed you. It is not exactly usual, I believe, for young married
ladies to visit men in their rooms; if I have misunderstood the social
rules in this matter, you will of course correct me.'

Mr. Dalmaine was to the core a politician. He was fond of Paula in a
way, but he had discovered since his marriage that she had a certain
individuality very distinct from his own, and till this was crushed he
could not be satisfied. It was his home policy, at present, to crush
Paula's will. He practised upon her the faculties which he would have
liked to use in terrorising a people. Since she had given up talking
politics, her drawing-room had been full of people whom Dalmaine
regarded with contempt--mere