d it,
confused in her mind as to the reason of his coming. Did he know?
Or was he utterly unconscious? He must have known; he had come to
her door.

"Do you mind my coming in?" he asked.

"No, not at all."

She made way for him to pass into her sitting-room. There followed
an awkward pause which he tried to fill with the laying down of his
hat and the discarding of his gloves. Sally stood there where she
had closed the door, waiting for him to explain his presence. Had
he brought a message for her from Jack? Had he come to see
Jack--knowing nothing--and, finding the rooms below occupied by
another tenant, had he come to learn the reason of her? Why had he
come? And at last he turned frankly to her.

"Miss Bishop, I saw Jack the other day. He told me."

Sally lifted her head with an assumption of pride, a strained effort
to show the pride that Janet had urged her to possess. She crossed
the room and dropped into a chair.

"Aren't you going to sit down?" she asked.

"Thanks." He took the nearest chair, winding his watch-chain about
his finger to convey the air that he was at ease.

"Did Jack send you to see me?" she asked then.

"No."

"You've no message from him?"

"No."

"Then, why do you come here?" She wanted to put the question firmly,
but in her ears it sounded wavering; in his, touched only with
surprise.

"Do you remember that evening we dined together?" he asked in reply.

Could she forget it? She nodded her head in silence.

"If you recollect, I said I wished to offer my friendship?"

Her head nodded again. She did not make it easy for him; but the social
training inures one to the difficulties of forging conversation. He
ploughed through with a straight, undeviating edge that in no way
displeased her.

"Well, I don't want to distress you by going over the whole business
which, as you might quite justly say, was none of mine. I thought
you might find it a bit lonely, and so, as I'd taken you out to dinner
before"--he raised his eyes, finishing the sentence with a smile and
lifting eyebrows. "Were you going out to dinner now?" he added,
before she had time to reply.

"Yes, I was."

"Then will you come with me?"

She met his gaze with frank speculation. What did it matter where
she went? Who was there to care? Janet, the only one, would urge her
to it if she knew. There was no doubt in her mind that friendship
had prompted him. It was a considerate thought on his part to come
and offe