tion to paying for
the small stakes which usually gave a brightness to our game. It was
necessary for me to get out of earshot of the Doddses and the engineer
before they discovered these two facts about Miss Battersby. I thought
it probable that I should have to go to a new hotel next day in order
to escape the reproaches of my friends. But I did not want to move that
night, so I went into the hotel garden, hustling Hilda before me. There
was no need to hustle Lalage. She understood the need for haste even
better than I did. I knew Miss Battersby's capacity for bridge, having
occasionally played with her in my uncle's house. Lalage understood
how acutely the pain brought on by Miss Battersby's bridge would be
aggravated by the deprecating sweetness of Miss Battersby's manner. In
the hotel garden there were a number of chairs made, I expect, by a man
whose regular business in life was the manufacture of the old-fashioned
straw beehives. When forced by the introduction of the new wooden hives
to turn his hand to making chairs, he failed to shake himself free of
the tradition of his proper art. His chairs were as like beehives as it
is possible for chairs to be and anybody who sits back in one of them
is surrounded on all sides by walls and overshadowed by a hood of woven
wicker-work. When Lalage sat down I could see no more of her than the
glowing end of her cigarette and the toes of her shoes. Hilda was to
the same extent invisible. I was annoyed by this at first, for Lalage
is very pretty to look at and the night was not so dark when we sat down
but that I could, had she been in any ordinary chair, have traced the
outline of her figure. Later on, when our conversation reached its
most interesting point, I was thankful to recollect that I also was in
obscurity. I am not, owing to my training as a diplomatist, an easy man
to startle, but Lalage gave me a severe shock. I prefer to keep my face
in the shadow when I am moved to unexpected emotion.

"To-morrow," I said pleasantly, by way of opening the conversation, "we
shall have another long day's sight-seeing, mitigated with ices."

"I'm sorry to say," said Lalage, "that we go home to-morrow. The steamer
sails at 11 a.m."

"Surely there can be no real need for such hurry. Now that we have
Miss Battersby among us the Archdeacon and Hilda's mother will be quite
satisfied."

"It's not that in the least," said Lalage. "Is it, Hilda?"

Hilda said something about return ti