g in
daily communication with May Tomalin, helped him to disregard the other
features of his position. He gave a cheerful assent.

"Now go away for half an hour," said Lady Ogram. "Then come back, and
ask for Miss Bride, and you'll find her here."

She was at the end of her strength, and could barely make the last
words audible. Dyce pressed her hand silently, and withdrew.

After the imposed interval, he returned from a ramble in Piccadilly,
where he had seen nothing, and was conducted again to the drawing-room.
There Constance sat reading. She was perfectly calm, entirely herself,
and, as Lashmar entered, she looked up with the usual smile.

"Have you been out this afternoon?" he began by asking.

"Yes. Why?"

"You went on business of Lady Ogram's?"

"Yes. Why?"

Dyce gave no answer. He laid aside his hat and stick, sat down not far
from Constance, and looked at her steadily.

"I have something rather odd to say to you. As we are both rational
persons, I shall talk quite freely, and explain to you exactly the
position in which I find myself. It's a queer position, to say the
least. When I was at Rivenoak, on the last day of my visit, Lady Ogram
had a confidential talk with me; your name came prominently into it,
and I went away with certain vague impressions which have kept me, ever
since, in a good deal of uneasiness. This afternoon, I have had another
private conversation with Lady Ogram. Again your name had a prominent
part in it, and this time there was no vagueness whatever in the
communication made to me. I was bidden, in plain terms, to make you an
offer of marriage."

Constance drooped her eyes, but gave no other sign of disturbance.

"Now," resumed Dyce, leaning forward with hands clasped between his
knees, "before I say anything more about this matter as it concerns
you, I had better tell you what I think about our friend. I feel pretty
sure that she has a very short time to live; it wouldn't surprise me if
it were a question of days, but in any case I am convinced she won't
live for a month. What is your opinion?"

"I fancy you are right," answered the other, gravely. "If so, this
rather grotesque situation becomes more manageable. It is fortunate
that you and I know each other so well, and have the habit of
straightforward speech. I may assume, no doubt, that, from the very
first, our friendship was misinterpreted by Lady Ogram; reasonable
relations between man and woman are so very rare, an