erience for Charlie," he added with a twinkle.

He put her into the cab, and stood for a moment at the door.

"And the address?" he asked.

She hesitated, looking away from him; then suddenly she told him.

"It's Brixton Road--it's--it's a very horrid boarding-house," she
added with a half-sigh.

"Boarding-houses are all horrid," said Micky cheerily. "But I'll come
down myself to-morrow and see how bad it really is."

He tried to see her face.

"Shall you be in if I come in the afternoon?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes."

"About four, then," said Micky. He groped for her hand, found it, and
pressed it. "Good-night," he said.

"Good-night."

And the next moment Micky was alone in the starlight.

He stood looking after the taxi with a queer sense of unreality. Had
he just dreamt it all, and was there really no such girl as Esther
Shepstone? No Charlie? He shook himself together with a laugh. Of
course it was real, all of it! He walked on soberly through the cold
night.

To-morrow he would go to the very horrid boarding-house in the Brixton
Road and see her again.

Esther! He liked her name; there was something quaint and old-world
about it. It seemed impossible that they had only met a few hours
ago.

His headache had quite vanished. He was whistling a snatch of song
when he let himself into the house and went upstairs.

He opened the door of his sitting-room, and then stopped dead on the
threshold. The lights were burning fully, and a man was ensconced in
his favourite armchair by the fire--Ashton. Lord! he had forgotten all
about Ashton.

Micky looked guiltily at the clock--nearly eleven!--he began a
half-apology.

"Awfully sorry, old man--I was kept.... Been waiting long?"

"I got here at ten."

Ashton climbed out of the chair and looked at Micky with a sort of
shamefacedness.

"Don't take your coat off," he said suddenly. "I want you to come out
again----"

"Out! Now! Look at the time, man!"

"I know--it's only eleven.... I'm catching the midnight to Dover...."

Micky stared.

"Dover! What in the world...."

Ashton turned round and looked down at the fire with a sort of
embarrassment.

"It's the mater," he said jerkily. "She's found out----"

Micky looked puzzled.

"Found out! What on earth...."

Ashton made an impatient gesture. He was a good-looking man, with dark
eyes that could look all manner of things without in the least meaning
them.

"About that girl at Eldred's," he s