t emotion.
She leaned towards him, laughing softly.

"Now you are really becoming interesting," she murmured. "Tell me--tell
me all about it."

"I don't know what love is!" Tavernake declared fiercely. "I don't know
what it means to be in love!"

Again she laughed in his face.

"Are you so sure?" she whispered.

She saw the veins stand out upon his temples, watched the passion which
kept him at first tongue-tied.

"Sure!" he muttered. "Who can be sure when you look like that!"

He held out his arms. With a swift little backward movement she flitted
away and leaned against the table.

"What a brother-in-law you would make!" she laughed. "So steady, so
respectable, alas! so serious! Dear Mr. Tavernake, I wish you joy. As a
matter of fact, you and Beatrice are very well suited for one another."

The telephone bell rang. She moved over and held the receiver to her
ear. Her face changed. After the first few words to which she listened,
it grew dark with anger.

"You mean to say that Professor Franklin has not been in since
lunch-time?" she exclaimed. "I left word particularly that I should
require him to-night. Is Major Post there, then? No? Mr. Crease--no?
Nor Mr. Faulkes? Not one of them! Very well, ring me up directly the
professor comes in, or any of them."

She replaced the receiver with a gesture of annoyance. Tavernake was
astonished at the alteration in her expression. The smile had gone, and
with its passing away lines had come under her eyes and about her mouth.
Without a word to him she strode away into her bedroom. Tavernake was
just wondering whether he should retire, when she came back.

"Listen, Mr. Tavernake," she said, "how far away are your rooms?"

"Down at Chelsea," he answered, "about two miles and a half."

"Take a taxi and drive there," she commanded, "or stop. You will find my
car outside. I will telephone down to say that you are to use it. Change
into your evening clothes and come back for me. I want you to take me
out to supper."

He looked at her in amazement. She stamped her foot.

"Don't stand there hesitating!" she ordered. "Do as I say! You don't
expect I am going to help you to buy your wretched property if you
refuse me the simplest of favors? Hurry, I say! Hurry!"

"I am really very sorry," Tavernake interposed, "but I do not possess a
dress suit. I would go, with pleasure, but I haven't got such a thing."

She looked at him for a moment incredulously. Then she broke i