t back to his rooms, Driver met him; Driver with a
spark of unwonted animation in his dull eyes, and who closed the
sitting-room door mysteriously behind him as he came forward.

"If you please, sir--there is a lady to see you."

"A lady!" said Micky blankly; then he laughed. "Rubbish! You're
dreaming, man."

"No sir," said Driver stolidly.

Micky stared at him for a moment, then he passed him, and threw open
the door of the sitting-room.

It was Esther who rose from a chair by the fire as he entered.

For an instant Micky was unable to believe his own eyes, then he shut
the door and took a step forward.

"You!" he said. "I never thought...."

She broke in agitatedly.

"Oh, I know; I suppose I shouldn't have come; I don't know what June
would say if she knew; but--but there wasn't anybody else I could come
to, and you said ... you said...." She flushed up nervously. "Oh, you
did say you would be a friend to me, didn't you?"

"Yes," said Micky.

He might have reminded her that she had declined his friendship; he
might have reminded her of all the not very kind things which she had
said to him, but it was such happiness to see her here in his room
that he was in no mood to be critical.

"Do sit down ... there's no hurry, is there?" He wanted to put her at
her ease; he did not like to see the nervous agitation in her face;
but she shook her head.

"I'm not going to stay, only ... only I...." Her voice changed
suddenly. "Oh, Mr. Mellowes, will you tell me how I can get to
Paris?"

"Paris!" Micky echoed the word helplessly. "Paris!" he said again. For
the moment he stared at her with blank eyes.

She rushed on impetuously.

"I have a friend there--some one I ... some one I ... oh, it's the man
I'm engaged to, and I want to see him--I must see him! I've got the
money to get there. I hope you don't think I was going to ask you to
lend me that...." she added in distress.

"Miss Shepstone ... I--I...." Micky was horribly upset. "I never
thought anything of the sort. And--and even if you were going to ask
me, you know quite well that anything I have, anything...."

She stopped him hurriedly.

"Oh, I know, it's very kind of you." Her blue eyes sought his face
with a sort of abasement. "I don't think I've ever really realised how
kind you've been to me," she said. "But ... but I've been so worried
and unhappy ... I--I do hope you'll forgive me if I was rude or
unkind."

Micky did not answer; so it had co