her, absurdly like Julia's. She
checked a laugh at it.

Osborn had gone out to lunch.

"Did they know where?"

"I heard him telephone, booking a table for two at the Royal Red," one
of the men said, and bit off his words suddenly as he caught the
humorous warning look of the other. The look said: "We're all the
same; don't get the poor fellow into trouble."

She understood it and again checked a laugh. She thanked them, jumped
into the taxicab, and as the two men hurried after her, vying with
each other as to which should do her the service of closing the door,
she leaned forward and said buoyantly:

"Yes, you've given my husband away badly! The table _wasn't_ for
me! Tell the driver to go to the Royal Red."

She could joke about the matter, so complete she felt her power to be.
She had in her, strong and vital, an irresistible feeling of
achievements to come, as if nothing in the world could defeat her
purpose, nor gainsay her will; it was like an inspiration which cannot
be wrong. And as she entered the restaurant, and swept her eyes over
the ground floor, she found at once those whom she looked for--her
husband and the other woman.

As she went forward slowly, calm now, confident and at ease, she
remembered, with a rising and fierce sense of satisfaction, the raven
hair, the high shoulders and white face, the attractive insolence of
her rival. They had been before upon the same battle-ground; but now
the battle was level; nay, it was more than level; it waxed in favour
of the wife, who, with every weapon to her hand, advanced leisurely to
employ them against the woman who had none save that of her stupid
beauty, allied to the strategy of her greed.

Marie came right up and stood by their table before Osborn perceived
her; then she smiled.

She stepped into the breach of silence promptly, with sweet speech.

"I hope," she said, "I'm not intruding? But I'm shopping, and I was
told you had come here, and I wanted lunch, so I followed. Do
introduce me to this lady and give me some."

He stammered, somehow:

"Miss Dates, my wife."

Marie sat down.

"Where are you?" she said, glancing at the menu. "The roast--I'll join
you there. Do tell me I'm not intruding, both of you. I am conscious
of this being a horrible thing to do and I want to be reassured."

"Delighted to see you," Roselle chimed glibly, sweeping the wife with
a look of comprehending fury to which even her slug nature could rouse
itself upo