d the horrified girl, "why, I can't----"

And then she realised that she "could."

Twenty guineas a week was as nothing to her. This fact more than
anything else, brought her to an understanding of her fortune.

"I suppose I had better move," she said dubiously. "Mrs. Morgan is
giving up this house, and she asked me whether I had any plans. I think
she'd be willing to come as my housekeeper."

"Excellent," nodded Jack. "You'll want a maid as well and, of course,
you will have to put up Jaggs for the nights."

"Jaggs?" she said in astonishment.

"Jaggs," repeated Jack solemnly. "You see, Miss--I beg your pardon, Mrs.
Meredith, I'm rather concerned about you, and I want you to have
somebody on hand I can rely on, sleeping in your flat at night. I dare
say you think I am an old woman," he said as he saw her smile, "and that
my fears are groundless, but you will agree that your own experience of
last week will support the theory that anything may happen in London."

"But really, Mr. Glover, you don't mean that I am in any serious
danger--from whom?"

"From a lot of people," he said diplomatically.

"From poor Miss Briggerland?" she challenged, and his eyes narrowed.

"Poor Miss Briggerland," he said softly. "She certainly is poorer than
she expected to be."

"Nonsense," scoffed the girl. She was irritated, which was unusual in
her. "My dear Mr. Glover, why do you pursue your vendetta against her?
Do you think it is playing the game, honestly now? Isn't it a case of
wounded vanity on your part?"

He stared at her in astonishment.

"Wounded vanity? Do you mean pique?"

She nodded.

"Why should I be piqued?" he asked slowly.

"You know best," replied Lydia, and then a light dawned on him.

"Have I been making love to Miss Briggerland by any chance?" he asked.

"You know best," she repeated.

"Good Lord!" and then he began to laugh, and she thought he would never
stop.

"I suppose I made love to her, and she was angry because I dared to
commit such an act of treachery to her fiance! Yes, that was it. I made
love to her behind poor Jim's back, and she 'ticked me off,' and that's
why I'm so annoyed with her?"

"You have a very good memory," said Lydia, with a scornful little smile.

"My memory isn't as good as Miss Briggerland's power of invention," said
Jack. "Doesn't it strike you, Mrs. Meredith, that if I had made love to
that young lady, I should not be seen here to-day?"

"What do you mean?" she