things a
little uncomfortable for any one who crossed his path. He was
beginning to notice that Mark Driver came to Grandison Square somewhat
often, and seeing Carrissima wearing her hat and jacket a few
afternoons later the colonel asked where she was going.

"I am expecting Phoebe," she answered. "Mark has taken some rooms in
Weymouth Street and we are invited to inspect them to-day."

Colonel Faversham chuckled as she left the house. Nothing could suit
his purpose better! She would never, he felt certain, be content to
stay at home under the new Mrs. Faversham's regime, and her own
marriage would prove an admirable solution of the difficulty.

Mark Driver was just now in his element. His friend, Doctor Harefield,
had broken down in health, his only hope being to relinquish an
incipient practice and spend a considerable time in a more favourable
climate. Mark had taken over Harefield's three rooms: a dining-room on
the ground floor, intended to serve also as a patients' waiting-room; a
small consulting-room in its rear, and a bedroom at the top of the
house. The furniture, such as it was, had been bought at a valuation,
not that Mark had intended to make such an outlay at the moment, but it
was understood that the goodwill of Harefield's practice was to be
thrown in. It was, in fact, far too small to be sold separately,
although it might form the nucleus of the much larger one which his
successor fully intended to build up.

Mark, having provided an elaborate tea and a profusion of flowers,
looked forward with considerable zest to Carrissima's visit with Phoebe
as her chaperon, and yet as he stood at the window awaiting her arrival
he wondered whether he had not perhaps been a little too precipitate
over his recent investment.

His outlook had been steadily changing since the day after his return
from Paris. Although it appeared as if love had come upon him
suddenly, he knew it had done nothing of the kind. While it seemed to
have blossomed in a day, he understood that it had been developing for
many months, perhaps, even for many years.

He could not feel absolutely confident. Carrissima had builded better
than she knew. So cleverly had she dissembled her emotions that there
were times when Mark feared lest he should take her completely by
surprise; but in any case the declaration must not much longer be
postponed. If his desires were gratified, it appeared obvious that
these three rooms would pr