t you think we had better drive back to the
hotel?"

Miss Adams made a little sign to the cabman. "It is getting late, Polly,
and I forgot to tell you that I am having a friend to dinner."

The girl was silent for the next few moments after this speech, yet her
cheeks were flushing and her eyes so intent that it was evident she was
trying to say something without having sufficient courage to begin.
Finally she did speak in an embarrassed fashion:

"Miss Adams, I don't quite know how to say this, but I have been
wondering lately if you were not growing tired of London and staying on
longer here on my account. You remember that you told me before we
sailed that you were going to find some quiet place in the country to
rest. And it has not been much rest for you showing me both Paris and
London, with people after you all the time, even though you do refuse
most of their invitations." A sudden overwhelming shyness confused the
girl so that she could not continue for the moment. For in spite of the
weeks of daily intimacy with her new friend, Polly was not yet able to
think of her nor to treat her like any other human being. Not that Miss
Adams was ever anything but simple and kind like most great people. She
made no effort to be impressive and was not beautiful--only a slight,
frail-looking woman with a figure like a girl's, chestnut brown hair and
big, indescribably wonderful eyes. But to Polly she represented
everything in life worth attaining. Although still comparatively young,
Margaret Adams had won for herself the position of one of America's
leading actresses. Moreover, she had the world's respect as well as its
admiration, and besides her reputation a large fortune. So it was small
wonder that Polly should not so soon have recovered from her first
combination of awe and devotion for this celebrated woman, nor yet
understand the miracle of her choice of her as a traveling companion. It
was true that Miss Adams had no family and no close relatives except her
cousin, Mary Adams, who had been Polly's elocution teacher in Woodford.
The effort to persuade this cousin to accompany her on the European trip
had been the cause of Margaret Adams' visit to Woodford earlier in the
spring. There, finding that her cousin could not join her and yielding
to a sudden impulse, she had transferred her invitation to Polly. And
the thought that Miss Adams may have repented her rashness since their
departure from home had oftentimes mad