t myself out."

"Very well. But look in to-morrow, dear, won't you?" she replied, as I
opened the door for her to pass. "Better still, I'll ring you up about
three o'clock and see what you are doing. Oh! by the way, mother wants to
remind you of your promise to dine with us on Wednesday night. I quite
forgot. Of course you will--eight o'clock as usual."

"Wednesday!" I exclaimed vaguely, recollecting the acceptance of Mrs.
Shand's invitation about a week previously. "What date is that?"

"Why, the fourteenth."

"The fourteenth!" I echoed.

"Yes, why? Really, you look quite scared, Freddy. What's the matter. Is
anything terrible going to happen on that date?" she asked, looking at me
with some concern.

"Going to happen--why?" I asked, striving to calm myself.

"Oh--well, because you look so horribly pale. When I told you the date
you gave quite a jump!"

"A jump? Did I?" I asked, striving to remain calm. "I didn't know, but,
really, I'm filled with great disappointment. I'm so sorry, but it will
be quite impossible for me to dine with you."

"Another engagement?" she said in a rather irritated tone. "Going to some
people whom you like better than us, of course. You might tell the truth,
Teddy."

"The truth is that I have a prior engagement," I said. "One that I cannot
break. I have to fulfill faithfully a promise I gave to a very dear
friend."

"Couldn't you do it some other time?"

"No," I answered. "Only on the evening of the fourteenth."

"Then you can't come to us?" she asked with a pout.

"I'll look in after," I promised. "But to dine is entirely out of the
question."

I saw that she was annoyed, but next moment her lips parted again in a
pretty smile, and she said:

"Very well, then. But remember, you will not be later than ten, will
you?"

"I promise not to be, dearest," I answered, and kissing her, she ascended
to her room.

The fourteenth! It was on that evening I had to carry out the promise
made to Digby and meet the mysterious lady at the Piccadilly Circus Tube
Station--the person whose initials were "E. P. K." and who would wear in
her breast a spray of mimosa.

I returned to the library, and for a second stood thinking deeply. Would
I, by that romantic meeting, be placed in possession of some further fact
which might throw light upon the mystery? Ah! would I, I wondered?

The empty glass caught my eye, and I was about to cross and secure it
when Bain suddenly entered. Seeing me,