k through the telephone directory to
discover where he lived. There were about fifty Glovers, and ten of
these were John Glovers, and she was enough of a woman to call up six of
the most likely only to discover that her Mr. Glover was not amongst
them. She did not know till later that his full name was Bertram John
Glover, or she might have found his address without difficulty.

Mrs. Morgan had now arrived, to Lydia's infinite relief, and had taken
control of the household affairs. The new maid was as perfect as a new
maid could be, and but for the nightly intrusion of the taciturn Jaggs,
to whom, for some reason, Mrs. Morgan took a liking, the current of her
domestic life ran smoothly.

She was already becoming accustomed to the possession of wealth. The
habit of being rich is one of the easiest acquired, and she found
herself negotiating for a little house in Curzon Street and a more
pretentious establishment in Somerset, with a sangfroid which astonished
and frightened her.

The purchase and arrival of her first car, and the engagement of her
chauffeur had been a thrilling experience. It was incredible, too, that
her new bankers should, without hesitation, deliver to her enormous sums
of money at the mere affixing of her signature to an oblong slip of
paper.

She had even got over the panic feeling which came to her on her first
few visits to the bank. On these earlier occasions she had felt rather
like an inexpert forger, who was endeavouring to get money by false
pretence, and it was both a relief and a wonder to her when the
nonchalant cashier thrust thick wads of bank-notes under the grille,
without so much as sending for a policeman.

"It's a lovely flat," said Jean Briggerland, looking round the pink
drawing-room approvingly, "but of course, my dear, this is one that was
already furnished for you. I'm dying to see what you will make of your
own home when you get one."

She had telephoned that morning to Lydia saying that she was paying a
call, asking if it was convenient, and the two girls were alone.

"It _is_ a nice flat, and I shall be sorry to leave it," agreed Lydia.
"It is so extraordinarily quiet. I sleep like a top. There is no noise
to disturb one, except that there was rather an unpleasant happening the
other morning."

"What was that?" asked Jean, stirring her tea.

"I don't know really what happened," said Lydia. "I heard an awful
groaning very early in the morning and I got up and looked