the opposite chair and sat up. "I'm going to be married in
London--quietly," he said; he did not look at Costin now. "Miss Wyatt
has lost her mother recently--I dare say you know. I--er--I think that
is all," he added, with a sort of embarrassment, as he recalled the
times, the many times, he had made a confidant of Costin in the days
before he was engaged to Cynthia; the many little gifts that Costin had
conveyed to her; the notes he had brought back. Jimmy stifled a sigh
in his broad chest; he rose to his feet.

"And, Costin----"

"Yes, sir."

"There is no need to--to mention--Miss Farrow--if--you understand?"

"Perfectly, sir."

"Very well; get out," said Jimmy.

Costin obeyed imperturbably. He knew Jimmy Challoner very well; and in
this case, at all events, the master was certainly no hero to the
valet. Left alone, Jimmy subsided again into his chair with a sigh.
The day after to-morrow! it seemed as if it must be the end of
everything; as if he would be brought up sharply against an unscalable
brick wall when his wedding-day came.

Poor little Christine! she had changed very much during the past few
days; she looked somehow older--more grown-up; she smiled less
frequently, and she was very quiet--even with Jimmy. And she loved
Jimmy; she seemed to love him all the more now that he was all that was
left to her. Jimmy realised it, too, and it worried him. He meant to
be good to her--he wanted to be good to her; but--involuntarily he
glanced towards the blank space on the mantelshelf where Cynthia
Farrow's portrait used to stand.

He had not seen her since that night when she had told him the truth;
when she had told him that she had thrown him over because he was not
rich enough, because she valued diamonds and beautiful clothes more
than she valued his love. He wondered if she knew of his engagement;
if she had been told about it, and if so--whether she minded.

So far nobody had seemed particularly pleased except the Great Horatio,
who had cabled that he was delighted, and that he was making immediate
arrangements to increase Jimmy's allowance.

Jimmy had smiled grimly over that part of the message; it was hard luck
that the Great Horatio should only shell out now, when--when--he pulled
up his thoughts sharply; he tried to remember that he was already
almost as good as a married man; he had no right to be thinking of
another woman; he was going to marry Christine.

The door opened; Costin r