n, it's rather amusing!' and he began
to read with desperate animation a string of letters on a subject
which, in the absence of worthier sport, was just then being trailed
before the public. The newspaper hid his face, and while he read he
could strain his ears for the first sign of Dolly's approach. She had
seen him, he was sure, and she would insist upon coming up--she was so
fond of him! He wished now he had gone down himself instead of leaving
it to Caffyn.

Meanwhile the latter had rushed down in time to wave back the maid who
was coming to the door, and which he opened himself. Dolly was
standing there alone on the doorsteps. She had prepared a polite
little formula for the servant, and was therefore disappointed to see
Caffyn.

'Why, it's _you_!' she said, in rather an injured tone.

'You never expected such luck as that, did you?' said Caffyn. 'Is
there anything I can do for your ladyship?'

'Mabel asked me to drive round this way and ask if Mark has come back.
There's Fraeulein in the carriage too, but I wanted to ask all by
myself.'

'Pray step this way,' said Caffyn, leading the way with mock
politeness to a little sitting-room on the ground floor.

'I can't stay long,' said Dolly. 'Mark isn't here--I saw his face at
the window upstairs. Mabel told me to see if he was quite well, and I
want to ask him how he is and where he's been.'

'Afraid you can't see him just now,' said Caffyn, 'he's got some one
with him he hasn't seen for a long time--we mustn't disturb him; tell
Mabel he'll come to-morrow and he's quite well.'

Dolly was preparing to go, when she discovered some portmanteaus and
boxes in a corner. 'What a funny box, with all those red tickets on
it!' she said. 'Oh, and a big white helmet--it's green inside. Is Mark
going to be married in _that_ thing, Harold?'--all at once she stopped
short in her examination. 'Why--why, they've got poor Vincent's name
on them! they _have_--look!' And Caffyn realised that he had been too
ingenious: he had forgotten all about this luggage in showing Dolly to
that room, in his fear lest her voice should be too audible in the
passage.

'There, there--you're keeping Fraeulein waiting all this time. Never
mind about the luggage,' he said hurriedly. 'Good-bye, Dolly; sorry
you can't stop.'

'But I _can_ stop,' objected Dolly, who was not easily got rid of at
the best of times. 'Harold, I'm sure that dear Vincent has come alive
again--_he's_ the somebody Mark