d Violet thrumming her mandolin in the
twilight for the benefit of Max who was stretched at full length on the
drawing-room sofa. The three boys were scudding about the garden like
puppies.

As Olga and Nick entered, Violet looked up from her instrument. "I'm
wondering if Sir Kersley would like to adopt me as well as Max. Do you
think he would?"

"Exceedingly doubtful," said Max, rising.

"Why?"

"You would take up too much of his valuable time," he rejoined. "A man
has to think of that, you know."

"Only horrid sordid men like you!" she retorted.

He uttered his dry laugh. "A professional man must think of his career."

She tossed her head. "Is that your creed--that there is no time for a
woman in a professional man's life?"

Max laughed again. "She mustn't be too beautiful, anyhow."

She sprang suddenly to her feet. The mandolin jarred and jangled upon
the ground. "Are you listening, Allegro?" she said, and through her deep
voice there ran a sinister note that seemed to mingle, oddly vibrant,
with the echoing strings of the instrument. "A professional man can
admit only a plain woman into his life. The other kind is too
distracting, since he must think of his career."

Nick cut in upon the words with the suddenness of a sabre-thrust. "Oh,
we all say that till we meet the right woman, and then, be she lovely or
hideous, the career bobs under like a float and ceases to count."

Max grunted. "Does it? Well, you ought to know."

"Let's go and have supper," said Olga, and turned from the room.

Violet stooped to pick up her mandolin. Nick lingered to summon the
boys. Max entered the dining-room in Olga's wake.

"Give me five minutes in the surgery presently," he said as he did so.

She glanced round at him sharply. "Why?"

He raised his brows. "Because I ask you to." He halted at the sideboard
to cut some bread. "Going to refuse?" he asked.

"No," said Olga.

"Thanks!"

He went on with his cutting with the utmost serenity, and almost
immediately they were joined by the rest of the party.

It was a somewhat rowdy meal. Violet appeared to be in one of her
wildest moods. Her eyes shone like stars, and her merriment rippled
forth continuously like a running stream. The boys were uproarious, and
Nick was as one of them. In the midst of the fun and laughter, Olga sat
rather silent. Max, drily humorous, took his customary somewhat
supercilious share in the general conversation, but he made no attempt
to