ut Mr. Dowling forestalled me."

"Won't you sit down and tell me about it?" she invited.

He looked her in the eyes, square and unflinching. He was still able to
do that!

"It could not possibly interest you," he said.

"And--my sister? You have seen her?"

"I have seen your sister," Tavernake answered, without hesitation.

"You have a message for me?"

"None," he declared.

"She refuses--to be reconciled, then?"

"I am afraid she has no friendly feelings towards you."

"She gave you no reason?"

"No direct reason," he admitted, "but her attitude is--quite
uncompromising."

She rose and swept across the floor towards him. With firm but gentle
fingers she took his worn bowler hat and mended gloves from his hand.
Her gesture guided him towards a sofa.

"Beatrice has prejudiced you against me," she murmured. "It is not fair.
Please come and sit down--for five minutes," she pleaded. "I want you
to tell me why you have quarrelled with that funny little man, Mr.
Dowling."

"But, madam,--" he protested.

"If you refuse, I shall think that my sister has been telling you
stories about me," she declared, watching him closely.

Tavernake drew a little away from her but seated himself on the sofa
which she had indicated. He took up as much room as possible, and to his
relief she did not persist in her first intention, which was obviously
to seat herself beside him.

"Your sister has told me nothing about you whatsoever," he said
deliberately. "At the same time, she asked me not to give you her
address."

"We will talk about that presently," she interrupted. "In the first
place, tell me why you have left your place."

"Mr. Dowling discovered," he told her, in a matter-of-fact tone, "that
I had been doing some business on my own account. He was quite right to
disapprove. I have not been back to the office since he found it out."

"What sort of business?" she asked.

"The business of the firm is to buy property in undeveloped districts
and sell it for building estate," he explained. "I have been very
successful hitherto in finding sites for their operations. A short time
ago, I discovered one so good that I invested all my own savings in
buying certain lots, and have an option upon the whole. Mr. Dowling
found it out and dismissed me."

"But it seems most unfair," she declared.

"Not at all," he answered. "In Mr. Dowling's place I should have done
the same thing. Every one with his way in life to make mu