hyness nor prove distasteful to her intelligence. But with very
little success. From time to time the girl glanced at him with strange
timidity, yet seemed quite willing to listen as long as he chose to
talk.

Fanny, being at a considerable distance from home, was to return to the
boarding-house where her chaperon now lived, and have a room there
for the night. Horace disliked this arrangement, for the objectionable
Mankelow lived in the same house. When he was able to get speech with
Fanny, he tried to persuade her to go with him all the way home to
Camberwell in a cab. Miss. French would not listen to the suggestion.

'Who ever heard of such a thing? It wouldn't be proper.'

'Proper! Oh, I like that!' he replied, with scathing irony.

'You can either like it or not. Mrs. Damerel wouldn't dream of allowing
it. I think she's quite as good a judge of propriety as you are.'

They were in a corner of the dining-room. Fanny, having supped much to
her satisfaction, had a high colour, and treated her lover with more
than usual insolence. Horace had eaten little, but had not refrained
from beverages; he was disposed to assert himself.

'It seems to me that we ought to have an understanding. You never do as
I wish in a single thing. What do you mean by it?'

'Oh, if you're going to be nasty--'

She made the gesture of a servant-girl who quarrels with her young man
at the street-corner.

'I can't stand the kind of treatment you've given me lately,' said
Horace, with muffled anger.

'I've told you I shall do just as I like.'

'Very well. That's as much as to say that you care nothing about me. I'm
not going to be the slave of a girl who has no sense of honour--not even
of decency. If you wish me to speak to you again you must speak first.'

And he left her, Fanny laughing scornfully.

It drew towards one o'clock when, having exhausted the delights of the
evening, and being in a decidedly limp condition, Mrs. Damerel and her
protegee drove home. Fanny said nothing of what had passed between her
and Horace. The elder lady, after keeping silence for half the drive,
spoke at length in a tone of indulgent playfulness.

'So you talked a good deal with Mr. Mankelow?'

'Not for long. Now and then. He took me down to supper--the first time.'

'I'm afraid somebody will be a little jealous. I shall get into trouble.
I didn't foresee this.'

'Somebody must treat me in a reasonable way,' Fanny answered, with a dry
laugh.