abandonment seized Lilian Rosenberg. She would have supped with the
devil had he asked her.

"I've nothing to lose now," she said to herself. "Nothing! I'll have
my fling."

"Where shall we go?" she asked. "It must be somewhere entertaining."

"Why not to my rooms?" he said. "We can talk better there--we shall be
all alone!"

She raised no objection, and they were about to step into a taxi, when
Hamar and Curtis suddenly put in appearance.

"Matt!" Hamar cried, seizing his elbow. "I want a word with you."

"Not now," Kelson protested, looking hungrily at Lilian.

"Yes, now!" Hamar said. "At once! I shan't keep you more than five
minutes"--and he dragged Kelson away with him.

The moment they had gone, Curtis, who was obviously the worse for
drink, addressed Lilian.

"Kelson won't come back," he said. "Hamar is mad with him. He says if
he ever sees you two together again he'll sack you. Let me take his
place!"

A sudden inspiration came to her. There were one or two things she
badly wanted to know--and with a bit of coaxing, Curtis, in his
present state, might tell her anything. She would try.

"All right," she said. "I'll come."

They got into the taxi and Curtis, as far as his fuddled senses would
allow, made violent love to her.

After supper--they had supper in his rooms--he grew a great deal more
amorous. She let him sit close beside her, she let him put his arm
round her waist; but before she let him kiss her, she struck her
bargain.

"No!" she said, thrusting him away. "Not just yet. That can come
later--if you are good. I want you to tell me something first. About
this marriage of Mr. Hamar and Miss Martin--is it likely to come off?"

"Ish it likely!" Curtis said with a stupid leer. "Ish it likely! Not
much. Leon means nothing! He only wants the fun of being engaged to a
pretty girl--like I wantsh fun with you. Nothing more."

"Then he'll throw her over after a while."

"After he gets what he wantsh to get."

"And suppose she prove different to what he expects?"

"After he pashes stage seven--that will be all right!" Curtis said
giving her waist an emphatic squeeze. "Everybody will be all right
then. You and Matt--for exshample--and I and--and--whishky!"

"Stage seven! What do you mean?"

"Why don't--you know!" Curtis gurgled--and then a sudden gleam of
intelligence coming into his watery eyes, he added. "Then I shan't
tell you--nothing shall make me. It's a shecret!"

"I won't kiss y