ad for instance had no hesitation in condemning the ugliness
of Mend's hat. Obviously then it was her husband whom she was
considering, not her guest. Once more Meriel commended the attitude;
once more hope raised her head. She addressed herself to her host in
quite a cordial and friendly manner.

"I have been telling Claudia that she has eclipsed all her former
records! She is looking younger, and more brilliant than I have ever
seen her."

John Biggs looked at his wife, and his eyes gleamed. What did that
gleam mean? Did it mean love, the love which a man might naturally be
supposed to cherish for a wife so young and lovely?

It was Meriel's nature to believe in her fellow creatures, and she told
herself that of course it meant love. What else could it be? It was
imagination only which had read into that glance something cold and
cruel, a triumph of possession more malignant than tender. When Claudia
rose to escort her friend to her room, there came the first note of
discord, for her husband rose too, and as she would have passed by
stretched out one great hand to detain her, while with the other he held
her chin, turning her face so that the pink rash was deliberately
exposed to his gaze. A moment before it had been hardly noticeable, but
at that touch the pink flush faded from Claudia's cheek, leaving her so
pallid that the disfigurement was increased by contrast.

"Still there, I notice!" he said shortly, and then with a certain
brutality of emphasis: "Get rid of that!" he cried deeply. "Get rid of
it. _And quickly_. Do you hear?"

"Yes, John," Claudia said, and there was a breathless catch in her
voice, as though his words filled her with fear.

Meriel marvelled still more!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later on that evening, Meriel repaired to her friend's room to indulge
in one of those hair-brushing _tete-a-tetes_ dear to the feminine soul.

"Well, Claudia," she began, a touch of something approaching envy
sounding in her voice, "you at least have gained what you wished for!
You plumped for money, and you have more than you can spend. Do you
find the experience as satisfactory as you expected?"

Claudia smiled, and leaned back luxuriously against her cushions.

"Oh, _quite_!" she cried emphatically. "After two years' experience, I
am still of the opinion that it is the only thing that matters. It's
wonderful what money can do, Meriel; it's