out----'

Alma glanced over the paper. The items astonished her.

'You mean to say, then, that I am in your debt for a hundred and thirty
pounds?'

'Debt be hanged!' cried Dymes magnanimously. 'That's all done with,
long ago. I only wanted to explain how things were.'

Alma reddened. She was trying to remember the state of her banking
account, and felt sure that, at this moment, considerably less than a
hundred pounds stood to her credit. But she rose promptly.

'Of course, I shall give you a cheque.'

'Nonsense! Don't treat me like a regular agent, Mrs. Rolfe. Surely you
know me better than that? I undertook it for the pleasure of the
thing----'

'But you don't suppose I can accept a present of money from you, Mr
Dymes?'

'Hang it! Just as you like, of course. But don't make me take it now,
as if I'd looked in with my little bill. Send the cheque, if you must.
But what I really came for, when I called a few weeks ago, was
something else--quite a different thing, and a good deal more
important. Just sit down again, if you can spare me a few minutes.'

With face averted, Alma sank back into her chair. Harvey would give her
the money without a word, but she dreaded the necessity of asking him
for it. So disturbed were her thoughts that she did not notice how
oddly Dymes was regarding her, and his next words sounded meaningless.

'By-the-bye, can we talk here?'

'Talk----?'

'I mean'--he lowered his voice--'are we safe from interruption? It's
all right; don't look frightened. The fact is, I want to speak of
something rather awkward--but it's something you ought to know about,
if you don't already.'

'I am quite at leisure,' she replied; adding, with a nervous movement
of the head, 'there will be no interruption.'

'I want to ask you, then, have you seen Mrs. Strangeways lately?'

'No.'

'Nor Mrs. Carnaby?'

'No.'

'I understand you've broken with them altogether? You don't want
anything more to do with that lot?'

'I have nothing whatever to do with them,' Alma replied, steadying her
voice to a cold dignity.

'And I think you're quite right. Now, look here--you've heard, I dare
say, that I'm going to be married? Well, I'm not the kind of fellow to
talk sentiment, as you know. But I've had fair luck in life, and I feel
pretty pleased with myself, and if I can do anybody a friendly
turn--anybody that deserves it--I'm all there. I want you just to think
of me as a friend, and nothing else. You're