mbo!

By eleven o'clock he was waiting in the sitting-room at Number 5,
Golfney Place. Until her appearance he walked restlessly from the
fireplace to the farthest window, stopping to look at the uninviting
oleographs on the wall, inspecting the row of David Rosser's novels
which filled the hanging shelf.

Colonel Faversham was in an unstable mood this morning. Why couldn't
Bridget come? She must know by this time that he detested waiting!
Every other minute he glanced at the door, and at last when she entered
breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"What a very early bird!" she cried, coming towards him in her
graceful, unhurried way.

"I want to catch the---- No, no," he said, "that won't do! You didn't
tell me you had seen Mark Driver!" he added, holding her hand.

"Didn't I?" was the casual answer. "But why should I? You surely
don't imagine for a moment I tell you everything! How deeply
astonished you would be! What an amusing disillusionment!"

"Why should it be?" he demanded. "What have you to be ashamed of?"

"Ever so much," said Bridget. "So many men would like to shut us up in
harems, wouldn't they?"

"It depends on the woman," returned the colonel.

"I assure you it would never answer in my case," she exclaimed.
"Neither bolts nor bars would keep me in."

"My dear," he said, "you drive me half out of my mind. You give me no
peace."

"Oh, you poor thing!" she murmured, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Say you will be my wife and have done with it," he urged.

"Now, supposing--only supposing that I were foolish enough----"

"You will," he cried, and doubtless he looked a little ridiculous as he
went down on one knee. The joint, too, was stiffer than usual this
morning.

"What do you imagine," she suggested, "that Carrissima would say--and
your son!"

At this alarming reminder Colonel Faversham made an attempt to rise,
but to his annoyance a cry of pain escaped. Unable for the moment to
straighten his knee, he remained at Bridget's feet, conscious of the
anti-climax.

"Let me help you," she said, sympathetically offering her hand.

"Good heavens!" he cried; "why do you imagine I require help! I am
quite able to help myself. I never depend on other people. Give me
independence," he added, standing upright though the effort made him
wince.

"Yet you ask me to sacrifice mine!" said Bridget. "But what would Mr.
Lawrence Faversham have to say?"

"Upon my soul I can't imagine," w