's. Have you any
idea what it is about?"

She shook her head.

"None at all. It is in the old Foreign Office cipher and it looks like
gibberish. I only know that the first few lines he transcribed gave dad
the jumps."

"I wonder if he has finished it by now."

"He'll send for you when he has. How do you think I am looking, Nigel?"

"Wonderful," he answered, rising to his feet and standing with his elbow
upon the mantelpiece, gazing down at her. "But then you _are_ wonderful,
aren't you, Maggie? You know I always thought so."

She picked up a mirror from the little bag by her side and scrutinized
her features.

"It can't be my face," she decided, turning towards him with a smile. "I
must have charm."

"Your face is adorable," he declared.

"Are you going to flirt with me?" she asked, with a faint smile at the
corners of her lips. "You always do it so well and so convincingly. And
I hate foreigners. They are terribly in earnest but there is no finesse
about them. You may kiss me just once, please, Nigel, the way I like."

He held her for a moment in his arms, tenderly, but with a reserve to
which she was accustomed from him. Presently she thrust him away. Her
own colour had risen a little.

"Delightful," she murmured. "Think of the wasted months! No one has
kissed me, Nigel, since we said good-bye."

"Have you made up your mind to marry me yet?" he asked.

"My dear," she answered, patting his hand, "do restrain your ardour. Do
you really want to marry me?"

"Of course I do!"

"You don't love me."

"I am awfully fond of you," he assured her, "and I don't love any one
else."

She shook her head.

"It isn't enough, Nigel," she declared, "and, strange to say, it's
exactly how I feel about you."

"I don't see why it shouldn't be enough," he argued. "Perhaps we have
too much common sense for these violent feelings."

"It may be that," she admitted doubtfully. "On the other hand, don't
let's run any risk. I should hate to find an affinity, and all that sort
of thing, after marriage--divorce in these days is such shocking bad
form. Besides, honestly, Nigel, I don't feel frivolous enough to think
about marriage just now. I have the feeling that even while the clock is
ticking we are moving on to terrible things. I can't tell you quite what
it is. I carried my life in my hands during those last few days abroad.
I dare say this is the reaction."

He smiled reassuringly.

"After all, you are safe at hom