Allott thought she noted a trace of heightened
color.

"Oh, no; it would be useless for me to try. Nobody could persuade Jim to
do what he does not want."

"Aren't you taking something for granted?" asked Allott, who sat with
the others, but had been silent. "Jim hasn't admitted that he doesn't
want to come."

The girl gave Thirlwell a tranquil glance in which there was a hint of
mockery.

"He has only a week left, and I imagine knows better than we do what
will please him best," she replied, and turned to her companion.

"What have you to say to that?" Allott asked Thirlwell, with a twinkle.

"It looks as if Evelyn knew my character--I suppose I am obstinate. But
I don't think she has stated the case correctly. It isn't that I don't
want to come. Unfortunately, I can't."

The other guests were leaving the tables and Mrs. Allott, getting up,
gave her husband a meaning glance.

"Then I must let Stephen talk to you. You may listen to his arguments; I
have exhausted mine."

"You could not expect me to succeed where you have failed," Allott
remarked, and touched Thirlwell as Mrs. Allott and Evelyn went away.
"Shall we go upstairs for a smoke?"

A lift took them up, and Allott lighted a cigarette when they entered an
unoccupied room. The evening was hot, and Thirlwell sat on the ledge of
the open window and looked out upon the river across the climbing town.
Church spires, the steep roofs of old houses, and the flat tops of
modern blocks, rose in the moonlight through a thin gray haze of smoke.
Lower down, a track of glittering silver ran across to the shadowy Levis
ridge, along the crest of which were scattered twinkling lights.
Presently Allott, who was well preserved and rather fat, turned to
Thirlwell.

"I hope you won't be rash, Jim, and throw away the best chance you may
ever get."

"You mean Sir James's offer of the post with the big engineering firm?"

"I mean that and other things," said Allott dryly. "Perhaps I have
spoken plainly enough; you are not a fool!"

"Thanks! I don't claim much wisdom and I am sometimes rash. But perhaps
we had better stick to Sir James's offer. Why does he make it now, after
standing off when I needed help some years since?"

"We'll take the offer first," Allott agreed. "Sir James had not been
knighted and pulled off the big business combine then. He hadn't as much
influence, and perhaps wanted to see what you could do. I expect he was
surprised when you got and kept