s to twelve. They
found Nancy in a rather pathetic state of excitement. She had been
running up and down stairs and from one room to another and she met them
with the elaborate calm of one about to give himself up to a capital
operation.

"We have a nice day for it, anyway," she said bravely. Any agreeable
condition, however remote it might at first appear from the business at
hand, was welcome. "Tell me," she asked Tom, "do you think I'm dressed
suitably?"

"Perfectly."

"Some social workers go down in the slums in the worst old clothes they
can find, but I've heard that the people down there like to see nice
things, so I compromised. This is just a gingham dress, you see, but I'm
wearing my pearls."

"I should think that's just right. Didn't Henry, the Labour expert, help
you?"

"Oh, I didn't bother him. He's not interested, you see."

Leofwin, who had been fidgeting around for an opening, now burst forth.
"I came early," he said, "to find out if I can't do the lungs too; I've
been practising them along with the heart, you know, and I think it
might go well dashing them in somewhere. What?" Leofwin's "what's" were
noteworthy. They were in a higher key than the rest of his conversation,
which was itself high, and he drew them out to almost exquisite lengths.
They were nearly all that was left of his week-end with the patron in
Suffolk.

"Oh, dear me, no," replied Nancy with considerable spirit.

"I think you will like my heart," he continued undismayed. "I've been
doing them all morning. I dug up some priceless old Beaux Arts crayons.
It will be nice when we get to the brain. It's awfully romantic, I
find," and he gave Nancy a killing smile. She gazed at him placidly and
then turned to Tom. "What time is it?" she asked.

"Nearly twelve."

At this point Edmund drove up, and with renewed palpitations the party
proceeded to the Mill.

As they passed in through the gates Tom noticed with sickening dread a
huge sign in flaming letters, "ARE YOU PHYSICALLY FIT? _Mr. Reynolds of
Woodbridge Will Address You----_" They were met by Bob Whitman, a hearty
young man who had just been made an officer of the Company. He stared at
Leofwin in amused bewilderment.

"Mr. Balch is helping me with the diagrams," explained Nancy. "And now
where do we go?"

"Well, you'd better just sit here for a minute or two until they get
settled with their lunches. I'll take you to where you go; and what's
more, Nancy, I'll introduce y