're what I call so appropriate! Do read
them."

He read the beautiful words--

_Wishing you a blithe and gladsome Yule._

"What on earth----?"

"Well, sir, I only thought they was pretty, and pre-aps you'd like to
keep it, sir, or send it to one of your young ladies; but I'll take it
away if you don't like it." She put it back in her pocket.

"Frankly, I don't. What a genius you have for the wrong thing! Are you
going to give me plum pudding and turkey on Midsummer Day?"

"I shouldn't dream of such a thing, sir."

Gillie had scribbled a letter.

"Go and ring up a messenger boy, will you?"

"May I send Johnson, sir? I don't old with telephones. They buzz at you
or makes you jump. And the young person keeps on saying ave you got
them? before you've ad time to breathe, in a manner of speaking."

She took the note. Vaughan sat down on a sofa to wait for the answer,
glanced at the clock, and said, "Confound Muir! He's made me waste
another morning."

When the answer came, Gillie went out and strolled towards Mount Street.

He found Valentia at home, evidently flattered and fluttered at seeing
him.

"How sweet of you to come!" she said.

"You'll stay to lunch, of course?"

"I'm afraid I can't."

"Oh! lunching with a leading lady, I suppose?"

"No."

"With whom?"

"With Romeike and Curtice."

"Not really? What fun! What are they like?"

"Oh, Romeike is all right. I don't care so much about Curtice."

She gave him a cigarette.

"I never in my life," said Vaughan, "before to-day, attempted to
interfere in anybody else's affairs."

She stared at him.

"But in this case it--may I really smoke?--does seem such a pity! Of
course you know what I mean, don't you?"

"Do I?"

"You see, I feel so certain that if you were, let's say--married to
_Harry_ and met Romer after, you'd be so wildly in love with Romer."

"So I was," she said in a low voice. "Tremendously! I thought he was a
strong silent man with a great deal in him.... Oh! I've told you."

"Yes, but so he is. It's commonplace of you, really, Val, not to see
it."

"I'm awfully sorry.... I do love Romer, and I think I appreciate him.
But somehow it's a little dull. It's not exciting as I thought it would
be."

"Well! if you _must_ have fun, and amusement, and make a hero of
somebody, why just Harry? Why not a superior man? Me, for instance?"

He was laughing.

"I've been told that an adoration for you would be hopeless, utterly
h