nd had built up her house of
life. Bruce Evelin stood near to him while she sang it now, and once
their eyes met and exchanged affectionate thoughts of the singer, which
went gladly out of the gates eager to be read and understood.

When the melody of Bach was finished many people, impelled thereto by
the hearty giant whom Mrs. Chetwinde had most strangely married, went
downstairs to the black-and-white dining-room to drink champagne and eat
small absurdities of various kinds. A way was opened for Dion to Mrs.
Clarke, who was still on the red sofa. Dion noticed the fair young man
hovering, and surely with intention in his large eyes, in the middle
distance, but he went decisively forward, took Mrs. Clarke's listless
yet imperative hand, and asked her if she would care to go down with
him.

"Oh no; I never eat at odd times."

"Do you ever eat at all?"

"Yes, at my chosen moments. Do find another excuse."

"For going to eat?"

"Or drink."

His reply was to sit down beside her. Mrs. Chetwinde's dining-room was
large. People probably knew that, for the drawing-room emptied slowly.
Even the fair young man went away to seek consolation below. Rosamund
had descended with Bruce Evelin and Esme Darlington. There was a
pleasant and almost an intimate hush in the room.

"I heard you were to be in Paris this month," Dion said.

"I came back to-day."

"Aren't you tired?"

"No. I want to speak to you about Jimmy, if you don't mind."

"Please do," said Dion rather earnestly, struck by a sort of little pang
as he remembered the boy's urgent insistence that his visitor was to
come again soon.

"I'm not quite satisfied with his tutor."

She began to ask Dion's advice with regard to the boy's bringing up,
explaining that her husband had left that matter in her hands.

"He's very sorry and ashamed now, poor man, about his attacks on me, and
tries to make up from a distance by trusting me completely with Jimmy. I
don't bear him any malice, but of course the link between us is smashed
and can't ever be resoldered. I'm asking you what I can't ask him
because he's a weak man."

The implication was obvious and not disagreeable to Dion. He gave
advice, and as he did so thought of Robin at ten.

Mrs. Clarke was a remarkably sensible woman, and agreed with his views
on boys, and especially with his theory, suddenly discovered in the
present heat of conversation, that to give them "backbone" was of even
more importance than t