ghly satisfactory afternoon! It proved an immense consolation to
hear that Mark had not seen Bridget, with that one exception, since his
return from Paris; whereas his manner of taking the news of Jimmy's
entrance on the field could scarcely have been more desirable.

Not only had the afternoon seen the disappearance of her last lingering
feeling of jealousy of Bridget Rosser, but it encouraged the growth of
sensations which had long been kept back. As a rule, Carrissima
enjoyed a serious talk with Mark, but to-day she had been the most
delighted by his frivolity. She laughed quietly as she remembered his
remarks anent the colour of her eyes, and spent some minutes examining
them in her looking-glass.

"You won't forget, Carrissima," said Colonel Faversham at breakfast the
next morning. "You won't forget you're going to see Bridget this
afternoon. Take a few flowers--roses, if you ask me! She is fond of
roses."

She assured her father that she had not forgotten, and eventually set
out in excellent spirits; the optimism with which she was disposed to
regard the world at large including Miss Rosser. Carrissima made her
way to a florist's, and after hovering over various kinds of flowers
for ten minutes, at last bought so many pink and yellow roses that she
did not like to carry them through the streets. A taxi-cab soon
brought her to Golfney Place, and Miller did not keep her long at the
street door.

"Is Miss Rosser at home?" she inquired, as she took a firmer grip of
the rose stalks, which did not seem to be fastened very securely
together.

"Will you walk in, please," said Miller, leading the way up-stairs.

When they reached the first landing, Carrissima was about two yards in
the rear. She carried the large bunch of flowers in her left hand as
Miller turned the handle and opened the sitting-room door. At the
same, moment, she came to a sudden halt, starting so violently that the
loosely-fastened roses fell scattering on to the floor.

The sunlight fell into the room, making it much lighter than the
landing. Full in the glare, Carrissima was appalled to behold two
figures: Mark and Bridget. He, who but yesterday had declared that he
had not seen her for some weeks, that he had no wish ever to see her
again, was to-day holding her in his arms. Her head was thrown back,
her chin invitingly raised; her lips were pressed to his.

CHAPTER XVII

HASTY WORDS

Miller had been too well trained t