tolerate Caffyn as a guest, but
lately even Mark could no longer pretend that his visits were not far
more frequent than welcome.

Something of the old uneasiness in Caffyn's presence had begun to
return, though Mark did not know why. At times before his marriage he
had had moments of panic or mistrust, but he always succeeded in
forgetting the incidents which had aroused them. If Caffyn suspected
anything about 'Illusion' he would have spoken long before, he told
himself. After the interview with Holroyd at Laufingen, he had ceased
to think about the matter--he was safe now. What harm could anyone's
mere suspicion do him? And yet, for all that, he was not sorry to free
himself from further intrusions of a visitor in whose glance he
sometimes surprised a subtle mockery, almost as if his friend had
actually detected his secret and was cynically enjoying the humour of
the thing. It was only imagination on his own part, but it was not a
pleasant fancy.

'He's an infernal scoundrel!' he said, with an indignation that was
only very slightly exaggerated. 'You are right, darling, you shall not
have to see any more of him.'

'But can't he be _punished_, Mark?' asked Mabel, and her eyes shone.

Mark coughed. If this affair were brought to light, some of its later
stages might not appear entirely to his own credit.

'I don't quite see what he could be punished for,' he said.

'Not for stealing a letter?' she asked. 'It was no less.'

'Rather difficult to bring home to him,' he said: 'couldn't be done
without a frightful amount of--of scandal and unpleasantness.'

'No,' said Mabel, thoughtfully, 'I suppose nothing can be done--and
yet, poor Gilda! Do you know she is actually engaged to him? It's
dreadful to think of that now. At least he shall never come here
again, and mother must be told too when I take Dolly back. You will
tell him, Mark, when you meet him that he must not call himself a
friend of ours any longer. You will make him understand that, won't
you?'

'Can't you tell him yourself at one of the rehearsals?' asked Mark.

'I would rather you told him, dear,' she said, 'and there are no
rehearsals till Friday.'

'Oh,' said Mark, 'very well, darling, I will--of course I will!'

He was already beginning to feel that the interview might not be
altogether agreeable.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

HAROLD CAFFYN MAKES A PALPABLE HIT.

As Mabel had said, she did not meet Harold Caffyn again until both
were dinin