where."

"Clever!" screamed the lady. "But aren't you wasteful of your epigrams?"

He could cheerfully have slain her then and there; for which reason the
civil gravity he preserved was all the more commendable.

"And now," he persisted, "won't you tell me with whom you were
discussing me in Paris?"

She shook her head at him reprovingly. "You don't _know_?"

"No."

"You can't guess?"

"Not to save me."

"R'ally?"

"Honestly and truly," he swore, puzzled by the undertone of light malice
he thought to detect in her manner.

"Then," said she with decision, "_I'm_ not going to get myself into
trouble by babbling. But, if you promise to be _nice_ to me all the way
home--?" She paused.

"I promise," he said gravely.

"Then--if you happen to be at the head of the companion-ladder when the
tender comes off from Queenstown tonight--I promise you a _huge_
surprise."

"You won't say more than that?" he pleaded.

She appeared to debate. "Yes," she announced mischievously; "I'll give
you a leading hint. The person I mean is the purchaser of the Cadogan
collar."

His eyes were blank. "And what, please, is the Cadogan collar?"

"You don't mean to tell me you've never _heard_ of it?" She paused with
dramatic effect. "Incredible! Surely, everybody knows about the Cadogan
collar, the most magnificent necklace of pearls in the world!"

"Everybody, it seems, but myself, Mrs. Ilkington."

"R'ally!" she cried, and tapped his arm playfully. "You are as stupid as
most brilliant men!"

A bugle sang through the evening air. The lady started consciously.

"Heavens!" she cried. "Time to dress for dinner: I must _fly_!... Have
you made your table reservation yet?"

"Yes," he said hastily.

"Then _do_ see the second-steward at once and get transferred to our
table; we have just one vacant chair. Oh, but you _must_; you've
promised to be nice to me, you know. And I do so want you to meet one of
my protegees--such a _sweet_ girl--a Miss Searle. I'm sure you'll be
crazy about her--at least, you would be if there were no Alison Landis
in your cosmos. Now, do attend to that right away. Remember you've
promised."

Staff bowed as she fluttered away. In his heart he was thoroughly
convinced that this were a sorry scheme of things indeed did it not
include a special hell for Mrs. Ilkingtons.

What had she meant by her veiled references to this mysterious person in
Paris, who was to board the steamer at Queenstown? How had sh