d--

"Thelma! Are you there?"

Britta opened the door, and Sir Philip entered hurriedly and
smiling--but stopped short to survey his wife in dismay.

"Why, my darling!" he exclaimed distressfully. "Have you been crying?"

Here the discreet Britta retired.

Thelma sprang to her husband and nestled in his arms.

"Philip, do not mind it," she murmured. "I felt a little sad--it is
nothing! But tell me--you _do_ love me? You will never tire of me? You
have always loved me, I am sure?"

He raised her face gently with one hand, and looked at her in surprise.

"Thelma--what strange questions from _you_! Love you? Is not every beat
of my heart for you? Are you not my life, my joy--my everything in this
world?" And he pressed her passionately in his arms and kissed her.

"You have never loved any one else so much?" she whispered, half
abashed.

"Never!" he answered readily. "What makes you ask such a thing?"

She was silent. He looked down at her flushing cheeks and tear-wet
lashes attentively.

"You are fanciful to-day, my pet," he said at last. "You've been tiring
yourself too much. You must rest. You'd better not go to the Brilliant
Theatre to-night--it's only a burlesque, and is sure to be vulgar and
noisy. We'll stop at home and spend a quiet evening together--shall we?"

She raised her eyes half wistfully and smiled. "I should like that very,
very much, Philip!" she murmured; "but you know we did promise Clara to
go with her to-night. And as we are so soon to leave London and return
to Warwickshire, I should not like to disappoint her."

"You are very fond of Clara?" he asked suddenly.

"Very!" She paused and sighed slightly. "She is so kind and clever--much
more clever than I can ever be--and she knows many things about the
world which I do not. And she admires you so much, Philip!"

"Does she indeed?" Philip laughed and colored a little. "Very good of
her, I'm sure! And so you'd really like to go to the Brilliant to-night?"

"I think so," she said hesitatingly. "Clara says it will be very
amusing. And you must remember how much I enjoyed 'Faust' and 'Hamlet.'"

Errington smiled. "You'll find the Brilliant performance very different
to either," he said amusedly. "You don't know what a burlesque is like!"

"Then I must be instructed," replied Thelma, smiling also, "I need to
learn many things. I am very ignorant!"

"Ignorant!" and he swept aside with a caressing touch the clustering
hair from her broa