equently angry;
men often are, and with reason._

"There's something I want to ask you," said Cecily.

"Ask away," I said brusquely.

"Not _you_," said Cecily, frowning at me and then smiling at the
receiver.

_And so Herbert found himself in the street. Where should he go? What
should he do ... say ... think ... feel...? He was quite unable to
decide. Somehow he couldn't bring his mind to bear on the subject. He
could hardly recall the name of the lady with whom he had been
conversing, let alone what all the trouble was about. He paused and lit
a cigarette. Absolutely there was nothing else for it._

"How are you getting on?" I asked Cecily a little peevishly.

"Nicely, thanks," she answered. "And you?"

"Oh, nicely, too," said I, with a sigh.

_As for ~Whatshername~ Ermyntrude, she was in little better case. She felt
as if nothing was ever going to happen to her again; almost, she
thought, things had given up happening for good. She felt ... but she
hardly knew what she felt. ~After all, love wasn't~ ~Maybe love was~ She
could not bear to think of love. Engaged? That is what she had been but
wasn't any longer. Who was to blame? Was it Herbert? Was it she? Was it
~Exchange~ Providence? The more thought she gave to the matter the further
she seemed to be from a definite conclusion. ~At times it seemed as if~ ~At
one time it appeared as though~ ~At one time~ ~At times~ ~At 2284 Mayfair~
~Mayfair 2248~ ~2248 Mayfair~ ~Twice two is four, twice four is eight.~_

"Are you coming to the end of your friends?" I asked Cecily.

"If I'm not wanted I'll go," said she snappily.

"You're always wanted, of course," I apologised.

"Then I'll stay," said she brightly.

_CHAPTER LVIII._

_As Herbert turned his back on Kensington and walked towards ~Gerrard~
Piccadilly, he would, had he looked behind him, have seen a malevolent,
sinister man emerge from the shadow and follow him stealthily. ~But
Herbert did not look behind him.~ ~And why not?~ ~It is impossible to say.~
~Suffice it that he didn't.~ Nay, that is exactly what Herbert did see
when he looked behind him. "My God," said he, turning pale...._

"Can we dine with the Monroes on Tuesday?" asked Cecily.

"That depends a good deal on whether they invite us," I answered.

"It's only Jack trying to be funny," Cecily told the receiver.

_"As I was saying," continued Herbert, "it's James MacClure."_

_"No less," said the other, with a fiendish smile._

_It is nec