And though he seemed so calm and so cold, he
was passionate and could be violent. His intellect was not above the
average, but his power of emotion most certainly was. ... Dear Percy!

* * * * *

And now she had promised to go to Nigel's house, she would get Percy to
agree that evening.

Bertha told him of Nigel's visit, and of the request.

He frowned.

"You've accepted, and that's enough. I suppose you had to say you were
going. You can easily write Mrs. Hillier an excuse the next day. Dozens
of people will do it."

"Percy, I want to go."

He looked up angrily and in surprise.

"You want to go? You certainly can't. I don't wish it. Why, remember
what you promised. Is this infernal intimacy beginning again?"

"Percy, to-day is only the third time I've seen him since we talked
about it! And I hadn't the faintest idea he was coming to-day. I was
surprised and annoyed to see him. Since Madeline broke it off with
Charlie, we've heard nothing about them. Don't you believe me?"

"Naturally, I do. But it's a very odd thing a man should call here, and
beg you to promise to come to his wife's party! Isn't it?"

"Perhaps it is. We stopped seeing him so suddenly, you see."

"What's that got to do with it?" said Percy, with angry impatience. The
typewritten letters were torturing him. He had long been ashamed of not
having shown them to Bertha, and made a clean breast of it. It was
another reason why he hated Nigel and wanted the whole subject
absolutely put aside and forgotten.

"In my opinion it suggests a very curious relation his coming here
to-day like this. Not on your side, dear," he continued gently, putting
his hand on hers. "But, if you don't mind my saying so, you don't know
very much of the world, dear little Bertha, and in your innocence you
are liable to be imprudent."

This was Percy's mistaken view of Bertha, but she did not dislike it.
She was so determined now to be completely open that she did not try to
put him off, and said candidly:

"It may be perfectly true that he's rather more anxious for me to be at
the party than he need be. But, after all, there's not much harm in
that, Percy. All I want is to go in with you for twenty minutes or
half-an-hour, and then go away quite quickly. After that, if you like,
I'll give you my word of honour not to see him again."

"What's the object of it? No, I'm hanged if I go to that man's house."

"I promised as a special