-poor Theo! He must never suspect. But then, he never
would, unless I shouted it in his ear!"

She paused and put another log on the fire.

"_He_ will, though, unless I am very careful. He isn't old at all,
forty-two is young nowadays, and I'm sure he likes women. I daresay, if
I hadn't been engaged to Theo, he would have liked me. Most of 'em do.
And I never looked better in my life than I looked to-night. Vain
beast!"

Presently she got up, and roamed aimlessly about the room. The door
leading into her little sitting-room was open, and she went in and
switched on the light. "He wants to come in here to-morrow, and see
where I live. _Live!_ He wants to see my books. I'll hide those French
ones; they'd shock Beau-papa, I suppose, though they aren't very bad.
But what _am_ I to _do_? Can I go on being engaged--can I _marry_ Theo
while I--love his father? Would marrying Theo cure me, or make it worse?
And suppose he fell in love with me after we were married! And
she--Gerald's 'clean old peasant,' wouldn't she be horrified? Poor old
thing, she is very nice, but--and Tommy wanting to be a violinist! A
nice family party, upon my word!"

She laughed harshly and pulled her dressing-gown closer about her. It
was cold in here.

"I suppose I'd better tell Theo the truth--or, no, just that I've
changed my mind. No, I can't do that, for I'd never see _him_ again. I
want to see him; there's no danger; he'll never suspect me."

Up and down the two rooms she paced, her two long black plaits hanging
over her shoulders and accentuating the red-Indian character of her
face. "How Gerald would gloat!" she thought suddenly, clenching her
hands. "The beast!"

The stable clock struck one. She had thought that wretched old Duchess
would never want to go to bed.

"I wish I could tell Pam. According to the Duchess, Pam is a mine of
wisdom. But I know what she did about that Peele man, and I haven't the
courage to do that. Oh, why did I ever _see_ Theo? Then I'd have married
Ponty, and--_what's that_?" Wheeling fiercely, she faced the door
leading from her sitting-room into the passage. It opened noiselessly
and Carron came in, dressed as she had last seen him. "Hush! don't be
frightened, Brigit. I saw your light and----"

"Well--and?" She looked as if she were about to spring at his throat,
and he closed the door quietly and entered her bedroom.

"My good child, don't be melodramatic! I only wanted to tell you
that--that I am sorry