an run the risk of meeting any of your political
acquaintances at the club, I went in for a little mental suggestion."

"I see," he murmured. "Then my invitation wasn't a spontaneous one?"

"Not at all," she agreed. "I put the idea into your head."

"And now that we are here, are you going to stretch me on the rack and
delve for my opinions on all sorts of subjects? is Miss Susan there
going to take them down in shorthand on her cuff and you make a report
to Dartrey when he comes back to-morrow?"

She laughed at him from underneath her close-fitting, becoming little
hat. She was biting an olive with firm white teeth.

"After hours," she reassured him. "Susan and I are going to talk a
little nonsense after the day's work. You may join in if you can unbend
so far. We shall probably eat more than is good for us--I had a cup of
coffee for lunch--and if you decide to be magnificent and offer us wine,
we shall drink it and talk more nonsense than ever."

He called for the wine list.

"I thought we were going to discuss the effect of Grecian philosophy
upon the Roman system of government."

She shook her head.

"You're a long way out," she declared, "Our conversation will skirt the
edges of many subjects. We shall speak of the Russian Ballet, Susan and
I will exchange a few whispered confidences about our admirers, we shall
discuss even one who comes in and goes out, with subtle references to
their clothes and morals, and when you and I are left alone we may even
indulge in the wholesome, sentimental exercise of a little flirtation."

"There you have me," he confessed. "I know a little about everything
else you have mentioned."

"A very good opening." she approved. "Keep it till Susan has gone and
then propose yourself as a disciple. There is only one drawback about
this place," she went on, nodding curtly across the room to Miller. "So
many of our own people come here. Mr. Miller must be pleased to see us
together."

"Why?" Tallente asked. "Is he an admirer?"

Nora's face was almost ludicrously expressive.

"He would like to he," she admitted, "but, thick-skinned though he is, I
have managed to make him understand pretty well how I feel about him.
You'll find him a thorn in your side," she went on reflectively.

"You see, if our party has a fault, it is in a certain lack of system.
We have only a titular chief and no real leader. Miller thinks that
post is his by predestination. Your coming is beginning to wo