wered. "Go and talk to Lady Delahaye for a few
minutes. She has something to say to you."

Isobel made a little grimace, so slight that only I could notice it, and
took my place upon the sofa. I talked for a few minutes with some of the
men whom I knew, and then Arthur touched me on the arm.

"Can't we go, Arnold?" he exclaimed, a little peevishly. "I've never
been so bored in all my life."

"We must wait for a few minutes," I answered. "Isobel is talking to Lady
Delahaye."

"I don't know a soul here, and I'm dying for a cigarette."

I pointed through the curtain to the anteroom adjoining.

"You can smoke in there," I remarked. "I'll introduce you to Miss
Ernston if you like, the girl who drives the big Panhard in the park. I
heard her say that she was going in there to get one of Lady Delahaye's
Russian cigarettes!"

Arthur shook his head. He was covertly watching Isobel, sitting on the
sofa.

"I'll go in and have the cigarette," he said, "but, Arnold, there's no
fresh move on, is there? You're looking pretty glum!"

I shook my head.

"No, there is nothing exactly fresh," I answered. "Come along and smoke,
will you! I want Lady Delahaye and Isobel to have their talk out."

He followed me reluctantly into the smaller of Lady Delahaye's
reception-rooms, where we smoked for a few minutes in silence. Then
Mabel Ernston stopped to speak to me for a moment, and I introduced
Arthur. I left them talking motors, and stepped back into the other
room. Isobel had already risen to her feet, and Lady Delahaye was
looking at her curiously as though uncertain how far she had been
successful. She saw me enter, and beckoned me to approach.

"I think that Isobel is tired," she said, in a tone which was meant to
be kind. "She has promised to come and see me again."

Isobel looked at me. Her mouth, which a few minutes before had been
curved with smiles, was straight now, and resolutely set. She was
distinctly paler, and her manner seemed to have acquired a new gravity.
I must confess that my first impulse was one of relief. Isobel had not
found Lady Delahaye's offer, then, so wonderfully attractive.

"Do you mind coming home now, Arnold?" she asked. "I did not know that
it was so late."

I saw Lady Delahaye's face darken at her simple use of my Christian
name, and the touch of her fingers upon my arm. Arthur heard our voices,
and came to us at once. So we took leave of our hostess, and turned
homewards.

For a long tim