"I hope you realize," he went on, in a lower and less assured tone,

"that I am in earnest--very much in earnest. You must let me do

whatever I can for you. I shall count it a privilege."

"I believe you," she murmured. "I trust you altogether. I am going to

take you entirely at your word. I want to leave Paris to-day. Will you

lend me the money for my ticket to London?"

"With all the pleasure in the world," he answered heartily. "Let me

add too that I am thankful for your decision. You have somewhere to go

to in London, I hope."

She nodded.

"There is my aunt," she said. "The one who used to live at Lyndmore.

She will take me in until I can make some plans. It will be horribly

dull, and she is a very trying person. But anything is better than

this."

He took out his watch.

"Let me see," he said. "Your best route will be via Boulogne and

Folkestone at nine o'clock from the Gare du Nord. What about your

luggage?"

"I could get a few of my things, at any rate," she said. "My sister is

sure to be out."

"Very well," he said. "It is just six o'clock now. Supposing you fetch

what you can, and if you will allow me, I will see you off. It would

give me great pleasure if you would dine with me somewhere first."

She looked at him wistfully, but with some unwilling doubt in her

wrinkled forehead. It was excellently done, especially as she loved

good dinners.

"You are very kind to think of it," she said, "but--don't you think

perhaps--that I had better not?"

He smiled indulgently.

"My dear child," he said, "with me you need have no apprehension. I am

almost old enough to be your father."

She looked at him with uplifted eyebrows--a look of whimsical

incredulity. Sir John felt that after all forty-five was not so very

old.

"That sounds quite absurd," she answered. "Yet it is my last evening,

and I think--if you are sure that you would like to have me--that I

will risk it."

"We will go to a very quiet place," he assured her, "a place where I

have often taken my own sisters. You will be wearing your travelling

dress, and no doubt you would prefer it. Shall we say at half-past

seven?"




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