n the last hour."

She demanded in a low, tense voice: "Why have you followed me here?"

"Well," he protested, "Mrs. Gosnold sent me--and if she hadn't, I
would have come anyway. I told you last night that I loved you. I
haven't changed since then. And now that you're in a fix, whether or
not of your own contriving--well, it isn't my notion of love to let
you pull out for yourself if you'll let me help. And that goes, even
if you stick to it that you won't marry me."

"And Mrs. Artemas?" she inquired icily. "What does she think about
your coming after me?"

He stared and laughed. "Oh, did you know about that? I hoped you
didn't."

"I saw you with her in your arms."

"Yes," he agreed patiently. "She'd been laying for me for several
weeks. I told you she was--don't you remember? Only, of course, I
didn't name her. And last night, when I went back there looking for
you, she cornered me; and while I was trying to be nice and explain I
could never be anything more than a brother to her she began to
blubber and threw herself into my arms and . . . What could a fellow
do? I tried to make her behave, but before she would listen to reason
those confounded people had to pop up. And, of course, she took
advantage of that opening instanter. But--great Scott!--you
didn't suppose I was going to be that sort of a gentleman and let her
get away with it, did you? when I am so much in love with you I can
hardly keep from grabbing you now! Not likely!"

She tried to answer him, but her traitorous voice broke, and before
she could master it he had resumed.

"Mrs. Gosnold wants you back--sent me to say so--says she'll come
after you if I fail to bring you."

"Oh, no!" she protested, trembling uncontrollably.

"You won't meet any of those folks. They're all going to-day. It's a
new deal from a fresh deck, so to speak."

"No," she averred more steadily. "You told me I was foolish; you were
right. I'm through with all that."

He came closer to her. "You needn't be," he said. "Don't damn Society
just because you got in wrong at the first attempt. Try again. Let me
try with you. I've got all the money there is, more or less. If you
want a villa at Newport--"

"Oh, please, no! I tell you, I'm finished with all that forever."

"Well," he grinned fatuously, "what about a flat in Harlem?"

A little smile broke through her tears.

"Why must you go to such extremes?" she laughed brokenly. "Aren't
there any more apartments to be ha