Toni took up the
sheet and read the letter which Lady Martin had written with so much
satisfaction a couple of hours earlier.

"DEAR MR. ROSE,

"After the occurrence of this afternoon I am sure you will see the
advisability of Mrs. Rose's resignation from the Badminton Club. It
is with great regret that I suggest this course; but after the
scene which took place this afternoon, in the presence of a dozen
members and several visitors, among them Lady Saxonby, a former
friend of your own, I speak for the Committee when I request you to
advise your wife to resign for the present season at least."

Toni laid the paper quietly down on the table and spoke to Owen with a
mingling of terror and defiance in her tone.

"Well?"

"Well?" Owen reached across the table and picked up the letter. "What is
all this about, Toni? Why should you be requested to resign?"

"I don't know"--Toni began in a lifeless voice; then suddenly--"yes, I
do know. It's all a plot of Lady Martin's and Mrs. Madgwick's. They hate
me, I always told you so--and now they want to make you hate me too."

"But what happened this afternoon?"

"Oh, it's a long story." Toni spoke recklessly. "To begin with, I was
elected to the Club a long time ago--in September; and when Mrs. Herrick
came home she wanted to be a member too. I tried to get her in, but they
didn't want her----"

"Of course not." Owen frowned. "You never seem to understand, Toni, that
all people are not so unworldly as you. It was a mistake for Mrs.
Herrick to attempt to enter a private club of that sort so soon. She
should have waited until the scandal had blown over."

"Well, she was very disappointed about it. But every member can take a
friend in once a month, so I took Eva this afternoon."

She broke off in dismay.

"Oh, Toni, will you never learn sense?" In spite of himself Owen spoke
sharply. "Of all the foolish things to do! Well, what happened when you
got there?"

"People weren't very nice." Toni flushed again at the memory of the
whispers and averted faces which had greeted her entrance with Mrs.
Herrick. "But we just sat down and watched, and everything would have
been all right if Lady Martin hadn't interfered."

"What did she do?"

"She had a woman with her--Lady Saxonby, someone called her--and she
heard me addressed as Mrs. Rose, and turned to me at once and asked me
if I were your wife."

"She did? By Jove!" Owen guessed tha