ly. "You must forgive me, Fedora. I
am not much used to girls and I am sort of carried away myself, only I
want you to believe that there's the real thing in my heart. I'll make
you just as happy as a woman can be. Don't shake your head, dear. I want
you to trust me and believe in me."

"I think you're a most extraordinary person," she said at last. "Do you
know, I'm beginning to be really afraid of you."

"You're not," he insisted. "You're afraid of yourself. You're afraid
because you see the downfall of the old ideas. You're afraid because you
know that you're going to be a renegade. You can see nothing but trouble
ahead just now. I'll take you right away from that."

There was the rustle of skirts, a soft little laugh. Richard rose to his
feet promptly. He had never been so pleased in all his life to welcome
his sister.

"Flossie," he exclaimed, "I'm ever so glad you came along! I want to
present Miss Grex to you. This is my sister, Miss Fedora--Lady
Weybourne. I was just going to ask Miss Grex to have some tea with me,"
he went on, "but I am not sure that she would have considered it proper.
Do come along and be chaperone."

Lady Weybourne laughed.

"I shall be delighted," she declared. "I have seen you here once or
twice before, haven't I, Miss Grex, and some one told me that you were
Russian. I suppose you are not in the least used to the free and easy
ways of us Westerners, but you'll come and have some tea with us, won't
you?"

The girl hesitated. Fate was too strong for her.

"I shall be very pleased," she agreed.

They found a window table and Lane ordered tea. Fedora was inclined to
be silent at first, but Lady Weybourne was quite content to chatter. By
degrees Fedora, too, came back to earth and they had a very gay little
tea-party. At the end of it they all strolled back into the rooms
together. Fedora glanced at the watch upon her wrist and held out her
hand to Lady Weybourne.

"I am sorry," she said, "but I must hurry away now. It is very kind of
you to ask me to come and see you, Lady Weybourne. I shall be charmed."

Richard ignored her fingers.

"I am going to see you down to your car, if I may," he begged.

They left the room together. She looked at him as they descended the
stairs, almost tremulously.

"This doesn't mean, you know," she said, "that I--that I agree to all
you have been saying."

"It needn't mean anything at all, dear," he replied. "This is only the
beginning. I don'