very
nose. There were plenty of things to see."

"You mean he's stupid?"

"I mean I haven't been clever, if that's what you think. Once I did
nearly tell him."

"Supposing somebody else tells him?"

"If they do it'll only be their word against mine. And he'd take my word
against anybody's."

"Poor devil!"

He seemed to meditate, dispassionately, on the poor devil's case, and
hers.

"You little fool. It isn't a question of people's words. How are you
going to get rid of the facts?"

"He needn't know them."

"You forget. I'm one of them. How are you going to get rid of me?"

"Oh, Wilfrid--you're not going to tell him? You said you wouldn't."

"Of course I said I wouldn't--I'd even be glad to get rid of myself to
oblige you, Kitty, but I can't. Here I am. How are you going to account
for me?"

"I've thought of that. He needn't see you. It'll be all right, Wilfrid,
if you'll go away."

"No doubt. But I haven't gone away."

He emphasised his point by rising and taking up a commanding position on
the hearthrug.

Some one knocked at the door, and she started violently.

It was only a servant, bringing a note for her.

She read it and handed it to Marston, looking piteously at him as he
stood his ground.

"Mr. Lucy can come up," she said. "We have finished all we had to say."

"I think there are one or two points," he replied, "still unsettled."

She turned to the servant.

"Will you tell Mr. Lucy I'm engaged for the present. I will see him
later."

"No, my dear Mrs. Tailleur, not on my account. There's no reason why you
shouldn't see Mr. Lucy now. No reason at all."

She stood tortured with indecision.

"Mrs. Tailleur will see Mr. Lucy now."

"I will see him in ten minutes."

"Very good, ma'am."

The servant withdrew.

Marston shrugged his shoulders.

"There you are. Here we both are. Here we are all three in the same
hotel. An uncomfortably small hotel. How are you--or rather, how is
he--going to get over that?"

"It would be all right if you'd only go. I've told him you were a man
coming on business."

"My dear Kitty, that was quite unworthy of you."

"Well, what could I do? It's not as if I was in the habit of telling
lies."

"I won't criticise it if it was a first attempt. But in telling a lie,
my child, it's as well to select one that bears some resemblance to the
truth. Do I look like a man who comes on business?"

"You will go before he comes, won't you?"

"No, I don't