he Chancery there, who would take charge of the case if the
Countess desired it.

Lady Maud thanked him coldly, replaced the document in its envelope,
and left the Embassy with the intention of never setting foot in it
again.

She understood why Leven had suddenly lost an aunt of whom she had
never heard, and had got out of the way on pretence of an imaginary
inheritance. The dates showed plainly that the move had been prepared
before he left, and that he had started when the notice of the suit
was about to be sent to her. The only explanation that occurred to her
was that her husband had found some very rich woman who was willing to
marry him if he could free himself; and this seemed likely enough.

She hesitated as to how she should act. Her first impulse was to go
to her father, who was a lawyer and would give her good advice, but a
moment's thought showed her that it would be a mistake to go to him.
Being no longer immobilised by a sprained ankle, Lord Creedmore would
probably leave England instantly in pursuit of Leven himself, and no
one could tell what the consequences might be if he caught him; they
would certainly be violent, and they might be disastrous.

Then Lady Maud thought of telegraphing to Mr. Van Torp to come to town
to see her about an urgent matter; but she decided against that course
too. Whatever her relations were with the American financier this was
not the moment to call attention to them. She would write to him, and
in order to see him conveniently she would suggest to her father to
have a week-end house party in the country, and to ask his neighbour
over from Oxley Paddox. Nobody but Mr. Van Torp and the post-office
called the place Torp Towers.

She had taken a hansom to the Embassy, but she walked back to Charles
Street because she was angry, and she considered nothing so good for a
rage as a stiff walk. By the time she reached her own door she was as
cool as ever, and her clear eyes looked upon the wicked world with
their accustomed calm.

As she laid her hand on the door-bell, a smart brougham drove up
quickly and stopped close to the pavement, and as she turned her head
Margaret was letting herself out, before the footman could get round
from the other side to open the door of the carriage.

'May I come in?' asked the singer anxiously, and Lady Maud saw that
she seemed much disturbed, and had a newspaper in her hand. 'I'm so
glad I just caught you,' Margaret added, as the door ope