forty
minutes."

"And will she be likely to find your sister?"

"That will depend, my dear fellow, on whether my sister remains to see
her."

"Exactly; but the point's whether you'll allow her to remain, isn't it?"

Nick looked slightly mystified. "Why shouldn't she do as she likes?"

"In that case she'll probably go."

"Yes, unless she stays."

"Don't let her," Peter dropped; "send her away." And to explain this he
added: "It doesn't seem exactly the right sort of thing, fresh young
creatures like Bid meeting _des femmes de theatre_." His explanation, in
turn, struck him as requiring another clause; so he went on: "At least
it isn't thought the right sort of thing abroad, and even in England my
foreign ideas stick to me."

Even with this amplification, however, his plea evidently still had for
his companion a flaw; which, after he had considered it a moment, Nick
exposed in the simple words: "Why, you originally introduced them in
Paris, Biddy and Miss Rooth. Didn't they meet at your rooms and
fraternise, and wasn't that much more 'abroad' than this?"

"So they did, but my hand had been forced and she didn't like it," Peter
answered, suspecting that for a diplomatist he looked foolish.

"Miss Rooth didn't like it?" Nick persisted.

"That I confess I've forgotten. Besides, she wasn't an actress then.
What I mean is that Biddy wasn't particularly pleased with her."

"Why she thought her wonderful--praised her to the sides. I remember
that."

"She didn't like her as a woman; she praised her as an actress."

"I thought you said she wasn't an actress then," Nick returned.

Peter had a pause. "Oh Biddy thought so. She has seen her since,
moreover. I took her the other night, and her curiosity's satisfied."

"It's not of any consequence, and if there's a reason for it I'll bundle
her off directly," Nick made haste to say. "But the great Miriam seems
such a kind, good person."

"So she is, charming, charming,"--and his visitor looked hard at him.

"Here comes Biddy now," Nick went on. "I hear her at the door: you can
warn her yourself."

"It isn't a question of 'warning'--that's not in the least my idea. But
I'll take Biddy away," said Peter.

"That will be still more energetic."

"No, it will be simply more selfish--I like her company." Peter had
turned as if to go to the door and meet the girl; but he quickly checked
himself, lingering in the middle of the room, and the next instant Biddy
had come