id Carrissima, hoping that she was not betraying her
disappointment, "we must wait for another day."

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Colonel Faversham. "Why shouldn't you keep to
your arrangement? What is to hinder it, I should like to know."

"Do you mind, Carrissima?" asked Mark, gazing eagerly into her face.

"Not at all," she said, and a few minutes later Colonel Faversham stood
on the doorstep, looking after them with obvious approval, as they were
driven away from the house in a taxi-cab.

CHAPTER XVI

BUYING A CARPET--AND AFTER

Mark and Carrissima had not gone far on their way together before it
became evident that they were not absolutely in harmony. His object
was primarily to purchase a carpet for his dining-room as quickly as
might be; while hers was to visit as many shops as possible and, in
fact, thoroughly to enjoy the afternoon.

"Where shall we go first?" he suggested outside the door of Number 13,
Grandison Square.

"Let me see!" she cried. "Tottenham Court Road will be the best."

So Mark directed the chauffeur accordingly, and, on getting out of the
taxi-cab, Carrissima ominously suggested that it should be dismissed.
During the somewhat lengthy process which now began, she was not
without moments of pleasurable embarrassment. No doubt the various
frock-coated salesmen, who patiently displayed their wares, desired to
do precisely the correct thing, but there appeared to exist a
considerable difference of opinion concerning Carrissima's status.

Some addressed her as "Miss," some as "Madame," but all agreed that she
was either recently married to Mark Driver or on the point of becoming
his wife. At first he enjoyed entering the huge warehouses by her
side, standing by while she (obviously taking command of the
expedition) expressed her wish to "see some carpets." He was amused to
hear her discuss the nature of carpets in general; also at her manner
of resisting every effort of persuasion, and finally walking to the
door. When, however, several shops had been fruitlessly visited and
enough carpets inspected to furnish a large, modern hotel, Mark began
to feel weary.

"This is uncommonly hard work," he suggested. "I vote we have some tea
as an _entr'acte_."

"Oh, very well, if you're tired already," said Carrissima, "we will go
to Prince's."

"Can't we find a shop about here?" urged Mark.

"It won't take us half-an-hour in a taxi," she insisted, and a few
minutes later they were