in. When she saw him there she also stopped.

XLIII

"Come on boldly, my dear," said Nick. "Peter's bored to death waiting
for you."

"Ah he's come to say he won't dine with us to-night!" Biddy stood with
her hand on the latch.

"I leave town to-morrow: I've everything to do; I'm broken-hearted; it's
impossible"--Peter made of it again such a case as he could. "Please
make my peace with your mother--I'm ashamed of not having written to her
last night."

She closed the door and came in while her brother said to her, "How in
the world did you guess it?"

"I saw it in the _Morning Post_." And she kept her eyes on their
kinsman.

"In the _Morning Post_?" he vaguely echoed.

"I saw there's to be a first night at that theatre, the one you took us
to. So I said, 'Oh he'll go there.'"

"Yes, I've got to do that too," Peter admitted.

"She's going to sit to me again this morning, his wonderful actress--she
has made an appointment: so you see I'm getting on," Nick pursued to his
sister.

"Oh I'm so glad--she's so splendid!" The girl looked away from her
cousin now, but not, though it seemed to fill the place, at the
triumphant portrait of Miriam Rooth.

"I'm delighted you've come in. I _have_ waited for you," Peter hastened
to declare to her, though conscious that this was in the conditions
meagre.

"Aren't you coming to see us again?"

"I'm in despair, but I shall really not have time. Therefore it's a
blessing not to have missed you here."

"I'm very glad," said Biddy. Then she added: "And you're going to
America--to stay a long time?"

"Till I'm sent to some better place."

"And will that better place be as far away?"

"Oh Biddy, it wouldn't be better then," said Peter.

"Do you mean they'll give you something to do at home?"

"Hardly that. But I've a tremendous lot to do at home to-day." For the
twentieth time Peter referred to his watch.

She turned to her brother, who had admonished her that she might bid him
good-morning. She kissed him and he asked what the news would be in
Calcutta Gardens; to which she made answer: "The only news is of course
the great preparations they're making, poor dears, for Peter. Mamma
thinks you must have had such a nasty dinner the other day," the girl
continued to the guest of that romantic occasion.

"Faithless Peter!" said Nick, beginning to whistle and to arrange a
canvas in anticipation of Miriam's arrival.

"Dear Biddy, thank your stars you're not