dropped down on the seat
with a sigh of relief. "That's all right!" he said.

"Oh," said Claire, "how can I ever thank you? You've saved me--oh,
what haven't you saved me from!"

"A bad hat--a regular bad hat," said Tinker gravely.

"You wonderful boy!" she cried, threw her arms around his neck and
kissed him.

Tinker wriggled uncomfortably. He often wished that there were not
quite so many women in the world who insisted on embracing him.

"Well, you're a kind of cousin, you see," he said by way of defence.

After a while Claire cooled from her excitement to the cold
understanding of her folly. Then she grew, very naturally, bitterly
unhappy, and to his horror Tinker heard the sound of a stifled sob.

"I think, if you'll excuse me," he said hurriedly, "I'll go to sleep."
And, happily for his comfort, his pretence at slumber was soon a
reality. It was no less a comfort to Claire: she had her cry out, and
felt the better for it.

When the carriage drew up before the Hotel des Princes, they found an
excited group about the doorway. Sir Everard Wigram was the centre of
it, raging and lamenting. He had missed his daughter, and with his
usual good sense was taking all the world into his confidence. Lord
Crosland and Sir Tancred stood on one side; and it is to be feared that
Sir Tancred was enjoying exceedingly the distress of his enemy.

"Leave the bag to me! I'll give it to you to-morrow," whispered Tinker
as the horses stopped. "Say we've been for a drive. I shan't split!"

As Claire stepped out of the carriage, her father rushed up to her,
crying, "What does this mean? Where have you been? What have you been
doing?"

"Oh," said Claire coolly, raising her voice that all the curious group
might hear, "I've been for a drive with Cousin Hildebrand. I couldn't
find you to tell you I was going." And taking out her purse, she
stepped forward to pay the coachman.

Tinker, keeping the bag as low as he could, slipped through the group.
Lord Crosland hurried after him, and caught him by the shoulder.
"Where have you really been?" he said. "What happened? Where's
Courtnay?"

"I've been for a drive with my cousin," said Tinker, looking up at him
with eyes of a limpid frankness.

"Ah, let's see what you've got in that bag."

"Can't. It's locked," said Tinker shortly.

"Well, never mind. I owe you fifty pound," said Lord Crosland joyfully.

Tinker stopped short and his face grew very bright. "Do