was untold
relief to know that it might not come.

She hurried up the steps of Mr. M'Clinton's office. The alert office
boy--who had been Bob's messenger to Lancaster Gate--met her.

"You're to go straight in, miss. The Captain's there."

Bob was in the inner sanctum with Mr. M'Clinton. They rose to meet her.

"Well--are you ready, young lady?" the old man asked.

"Is it--are we to sail soon?"

"Next Saturday--and this is Monday. Can you manage it, Tommy?" Bob's
eyes were dancing with excitement.

"Oh, Bobby--truly?" She caught at his coat sleeve. "When did you hear?"

"I had a wire from General Harran this morning. A jolly good ship, too,
Tommy; one of the big Australian liners--the Nauru. You're all ready,
aren't you?"

"Oh, yes. And there's the most tremendous piece of luck, Bobby--Mrs.
Rainham's going away on Wednesday!"

"Going away! How more than tactful!" ejaculated Bob. "Where is she
going?"

"To Liverpool."

"Liverpool? Oh, by Jove!" Bob ended on a low whistle, while his face
assumed a comical expression of dismay. He turned to the lawyer. "Did
you ever hear of anything so queer?"

"Queer? Why?" demanded Cecilia.

"Well, it looks as if she wanted to see the last of you, that's all. The
Nauru sails from Liverpool."

"Bobby!" Cecilia's face fell. "I thought we went from Gravesend or
Tilbury, or somewhere."

"So did I. But the General's wire says Liverpool, so it seems we don't,"
said Bob. "And that she-dragon is going there too!"

"I don't think you need really worry," Mr. M'Clinton said drily.
"Liverpool is not exactly a village. The chances are that if you went
there, trying to meet some one, you would hunt for him for a week in
vain. And you'll probably go straight from the train to the docks, so
that you won't be in the least likely to encounter Mrs. Rainham."

"Why, of course, we'd never run into her in a huge place like
Liverpool," Bob said, laughing. "Don't be afraid, Tommy--you'll have
seen the last of her when you say good-bye on Wednesday."

"It seems too good to be true," said Cecilia solemnly. "I remember how
I felt once before, when she went away to visit her sister in Liverpool;
the beautiful relief when one woke, to think that not all through the
day would one even have to look at her. It's really very terrible to
look at her often; her white face and hard eyes seem to fascinate one.
Oh, I don't suppose I ought to talk like that, especially here." She
looked shamefacedly at